


Downfall

by Fieonexx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anime, Downfall, F/M, Fieonexx, Fieonexx Rysher, Levi x OC, attack on titan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:06:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9334550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieonexx/pseuds/Fieonexx
Summary: Who would dare plot to kill the king?  A shattered girl with intentions of revenge for the heinous crime against her family at a young age pushes through this miserable thing humans call 'life', but will her actions to kill the king be her downfall, or his?What if those around her change her mind before it's too late?





	1. Commence

        Blistered hands sorely grasped at the white rag as it washed over the stained wooden tables with vigor. Empty alcohol glasses sat there, patiently waiting to be discarded into the overflowing waste bin. Blonde tresses fell over slender shoulders in sweaty matted clumps as the body in which they resided worked feverishly to try and keep up with the never-ending sea of customers, none too kind.  
  
        "Blondie, pick up the pace or you get no dinner tonight, ya hear?" A gruff voice hissed in her ears. Her stomach tensed as slight rage swelled inside of her, but she had already received her fair share of punishments last night for lashing out at the one who gripped her arm with enough force to leave a bruise. There was some much-needed business that was screaming to be finished before she left this world, but this place made it harder and less bearable.  
  
        "Yes, Melvin." She grudgingly replied, trying to keep the venom she wanted to spew at his wrinkly, flushed face that bore coal black eyes as deep as the depths of the oceans she has heard strangers whisper amongst one another. Such talk was forbidden, but dreaming of a place where there are endless trees, waters that could even swallow a fifteen meter titan whole, lands that stretched farther than the eye could see, and the skies so open you could get lost in an instant should you stare too long, was all too tempting; especially in such a dark, limited place like the underground.  
  
        The macabre underground was far from pleasant; all around you was death, violence, rape, betrayal, and many other insidious acts that one could never truly grasp. Sunlight was a delicacy here; many people would fall victim to paralysis in the legs due to lack of it. Luckily for her, she grew up on the surface until age eleven, still fairly young. From time to time she is granted permission to the surface to gather supplies with a companion who accompanied her everywhere- not for her safety but to ensure she returns to her 'lovely' cage she now can half assed call home. No one in their right mind would call this shit hole of a bar intertwined with a brothel as a home unless one had no choice in the matter.    
  
        A decaying figure slid into the seat of the table she currently worked on, waiting for her acknowledgment, but receiving none as she was far too focused on her work.  
  
        "Fieonexx," They spoke gently, brushing their hand on top of hers to pull her back to her horrifying reality, "How are you faring today; good, I hope?"  
  
        The blonde blinked a couple of times as her mind shot back to her surroundings, noticing a familiar face that had helped her survive this forsaken world, "It's as good as ever," Her eyes scanned his face, noting that he looked rather ill compared to a month ago, "And you?" She questioned, blonde eyebrows knitting in concern for her elderly friend.  
  
        The man motioned for the girl to have a seat next to him, which she reluctantly took, knowing she isn't allowed. Some rules are made to be broken, though, right?  
  
        "I've come to say goodbye, Fieonexx, " He mumbled lowly, bringing a trembling hand to tuck tangled strands of hair behind her attentive ears, "My time on this world is nearing its end. I've grown old, and the underground is beginning to take its toll on a frail old man such as myself."   
  
        The blonde frowned, balling her hands into fists, "I see," She trembled, fighting to keep her voice from cracking as she struggled to keep back the waves of emotion, "I was afraid of this, but I never expected it so soon."  
  
        He let out a small, heartfelt laugh and patted her back, "You kept me here longer, Fieonexx. I had given up when I had first met you when you were eight. Eleven years I have fought this sickness to watch you mature into the woman you are today, but I'm afraid it's at that point of no return. This was no place for a child, and it certainly isn't any place for someone so kind hearted such as yourself."  
  
        "I-"  
        "You bitch, if you want to flirt so bad, you might as well join the whores in the brothel," Melvin bellowed, yanking the blonde out of the seat by her hair and throwing her to the floor, "Pick up your fucking mess first, you disgrace!"   
  
        A brawny hand entangled in her hair once more, lifting her to her feet to only push her into the table, causing it to topple over with her on top of it. Glasses shattered on the floor, shards embedding in her pale arms pulling blood to the surface.  
  
        Fieonexx gasped for air, the edge of the table knocking out what little she had in her upon impact. Rage swelled inside her once more, beckoning her to knock Melvin's teeth down his throat once and for all. It had been fifteen years of this shit, and she still hadn't formed a plan to get herself closer to the king. With her beloved friend leaving her, there was nothing else left worth staying for, but where would she go?  
  
        "Get up," A voice demanded, the identity of who being drowned out from the blood pulsing in her ears, "Get up, Fieonexx!" It demanded once more, pulling her up under her arms, pushing her towards the door.  
  
        The room seemed to spin around as she regained her focus to see a body shielding her from the groups of men now running at the one who picked her up from the filth ridden floor, "Get out of here and don't come back. You're smart, you'll make it. Find your way to the surface, get out of this death trap. Run until your legs give out, and remember what I taught you!" He commanded, leaving her no time for questions that swarmed inside of her mind.  
  
        The blonde stared in shock for a moment before another nudge encouraged her legs to dart into any direction, to lead her anywhere that was away from there. Her mind was a blur, her body performing actions she wasn't even aware of. She glanced back, her body rattling with curiosity as her eyes landed on a lone figure struggling to escape the grasp of two of the guards from the bar/brothel, the one who had saved her from this world, and from herself.  
  
        Her brain commanded her body to stop and stare in horror as Melvin pummeled the guy to the ground with a harsh fist to his left temple. His age really has caught up with him; a blow like that was enough to incapacitate him. A small glimmer shone in the dim pathways of the underground from the small knife that Melvin grasped tightly in his hand. All time seemed to stand still, the only sound reaching her eardrums being that of her own blood pulsing violently throughout her body.  
  
        Her mouth failed to scream for her friend's mercy as the weapon met her savior's chest, a loud grunt screaming in her ears as the male soon met his final breath.  
  
        "No...," She whispered under her breath, staring at the motionless figure as Melvin turned his gaze toward the girl full of wrath, "NOOOOO!!!!" The scream found its way through her lips as her throat burned from that single elongated word. Tears pooled in her eyes, not wasting any time to spill over and slide down her flushed, bruised cheeks.  
  
        Fieonexx's legs jolted her away from the bar as one of the guards ran after her under Melvin's command, knife in hand. Carts spilled, people fumbled, and children cried as she hastily rushed throughout the streets with her pursuer in tow. The tears ceased to flow as the burning in her lungs and legs set in. All of the bruises and whelps made the process much harsher on her already frail and malnourished body.  
  
        Fieonexx glanced back, noticing that he had gotten much closer to her, "Shit."  She cursed lowly, turning her attention forward, to only trip over a rock and skid harshly across the bumpy road.  
  
        The man let out a maniacal cackle, kneeling down next to her to grasp her chin, "Troublesome, you know that?" His coarse thumb ran over her bottom lip, fingertips trailing behind her neck, "Honestly, what does Melvin see in such trash? You're not too bright, you're crude, you're downright rude, and that attitude of yours is enough to scare off everyone in a ten mile radius," His hand traveled down to her shoulders, slowly gliding to the round meaty flesh that resided underneath the white halter dress she wore, "Your looks, perhaps?" Fingertips brushed at the hem of the v-neck shape that rode down to her waist, threatening to brush under the cloth to touch bare skin.  
  
        "Fuck off." She snarled, twisting his arm around and kicking him away from her, allowing her to run off once more in an attempt to reach safety.  
  
        "You bitch!"  
  
        Fieonexx rounded a corner, entering unfamiliar territory causing her to subconsciously slow her pace out of fear. She came to a stop, eyeing another situation down the road from her. Three people sat bound on the floor, people in green cloaks towering over them.   
  
        'Military Police?' She thought, a scowl appearing on her face. Even the thought of them made her blood boil. These three captives were probably innocent, just like her parents were, and the bastard Military Police were probably just picking on people for fun, or accusing people of things they didn't do.  
  
        Her heels dug into the concrete beneath her, lunging her toward the Military Police. A fist rushed past the tallest of the group, their reflexes better than any other person in the Military Police that she has come across. The others stood to the side, awaiting orders to assist against this strange female attacker.  
  
        "What purpose do you have here? Are you affiliated with these delinquents?"   
  
        Fieonexx glared, continuing to attack the figure while observing their features. Judging by the voice, and the height, it was a man. Their hair was covered by the hoods that overshadowed their face, but his blue eyes shone through the dark shadows, gleaming as a predator about to catch its prey.  
  
        "What purpose do  _you_  have here?" She retorted, blocking a fist while landing one of her own on his abdomen, earning her a small grunt. A small smirk appeared on her lips, disappearing just as fast as it came as he grasped her arm, spinning her around and pinning the captive arm behind her back. His free hand found its way to her free wrist, pinning that behind her back while his leg pinned one of hers to the side.  
  
        She felt like an ant compared to his tall form in which she pressed uncomfortably against. He was definitely different, she had never seen any Military Police with such precision or power.  
  
        "You're not in the Military Police, are you?" She genuinely questioned, relaxing in his grasp as she stared into the eyes of the other captives. The girl with reddish brown hair seemed to be beaming, while the two men seemed rather irritated-the raven haired male more so than the blonde.  
  
        "We can discuss things later, " He bluntly replied, pushing the girl forward as a motion to get her to move forward.  
  
        "Fine," She admitted in defeat, "There better not be any funny business."  
  
        "Of course."


	2. It's been a long six years

 [Fieonexx](http://xavoska.deviantart.com/art/fieonexx-649524342)

  Ame is my friend's OC- [emi-chanyin-chan.deviantart.com/a...](http://emi-chanyin-chan.deviantart.com/art/Ame-full-uniform-564080480)  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      
          A loud knock on the door pulled the girl from her trance, her gaze moving from the outside world to the wooden object that sang under the hand of a visitor outside.  
  
        "Enter." She mumbled, awaiting the figure to make itself known to her, "Oh, it's you." She sighed, turning her gaze once more out of the open window in which she sat in. A scarred hand ran through the white blonde tresses that resided on the left side of her head, another soft sigh escaping her rosy lips.  
        The intruding figure remained silent, walking their way to her location and joining in her activity of peering to the outside. It was sunny out. Warm air caressed the earth beneath it, giving life to things that would lie still otherwise; birds soared elegantly throughout the cerulean skies, taunting those who had no abilities of such freedom as they lived to only walk amongst the hard ground.  
  
        "It's not fair-" She spoke, drawing the attention of her companion to her figure, hinting that they know not of which she speaks, "It's not fair.....It's not fair that we're stuck here, caged like animals from the outside world due to man-eating predators."   
        Another sigh escaped her lips, her limbs aggravatingly pushing her form from the window and into the chair that sat at a wooden desk full of documents. She crossed her arms in disappointment, a scowl etching itself into her face to replace the content one she held earlier. Irritation gnawed at her bones, her leg twitching in a rhythm that pounded her foot lightly against the stone floor. Her eyes fell on the papers, strewn across the desk in a hapless manner to only taunt her even more. One by one the papers glided to the floor, victim to her hands pushing them off the edge. How long was this going to go for? Long after she was dead, she had no doubt about that.  
        "Hn." Her friend responded towards her childish actions, "Making a mess of the floor isn't going to make it fair, Fieonexx."  
        "I know, Levi." She whined, running her hand through the same tresses from earlier.  
        His hand grasped her wrist, beckoning her to stop prodding at the spot, "What happened, happened. Why torture yourself further by picking at it?"  
        "I can't help it. It still burns in the back of my mind like it happened yesterday."  
         "Reprimanding yourself isn't going to bring them back." He watched her lower her hand, her teeth cutting into her lip to replace the lost action which only earned an annoyed 'tch' from Levi. "They're bringing in the 104th cadets today, right? More lives for the titans to take, more families for them to destroy, friendships, lovers?"  
        "The battlefield is no place for love, not the one we fight on."  
        Fieonexx cocked her head to the side, staring at the ebony haired man in front of her, "You and Erwin. You both think the same, but I think you're wrong. How else would someone stay sane in this dark hell? Everyone knows the consequences, but sometimes a person is someone's reason for fighting."  
        "And what if they are killed? Then they become useless as they sulk in a corner at their loss. We have no time for distractions in an unforgiving war, too many lives are lost as is."  
        Her hand reached for her hair again, faltering as she felt his intense stare as a sign telling her to stop, "Gods forbid we be human. We aren't meant to be these emotionless creatures out to kill endlessly. As good as you are at hiding yours, you can't go against human nature forever. Anyone who knows you enough can see that you care. Besides, everyone has a love for something, whether it be the chance at a good life in general or the future with someone, we can't fight from the start if we have no reason. What's the point in living anyway if you have no reason to?"  
        Levi remained silent, her points were valid but he stood grounded on his own thoughts. He grasped her hand, beckoning her to stand.  
        She sighed in annoyance, "That time already?" The words came out with slight irritation as she heaved herself up, "Don't you ever get tired of cleaning?"  
        "I don't think you know me like you say you do to ask such a question." He responded, stoic as usual.  
        "It was a rhetorical question, of course I know you would say 'no' to that." She half smiled, following him to go kill herself with the boring tasks of chores.  
\-----------///-----------  
         Fieonexx watched the new cadets usher in behind Erwin, all of them glassy eyed at the heart pounding decision they made. There was no going back now, no matter how much fear ate at them or how many regrets swirled in their minds that would never stop spinning from this point on.  
         A girl with hair as black as tar bolted to the titan shifter, grasping onto him in urgency, "Eren! Have they done anything terrible to you, like examining your body's every nook and cranny, or putting you under any mental strain?"  
         "N-No, nothing of the sort." He reassured in a stammer, thrown by her irrational questions and her off-putting mannerisms.  
        "Eren!!" Another companion of his yelled, shoulder length blonde hair swaying in the wind as she ran up to him at full force,"You scared the hell out of me! Are you ok!?" A harsh punch to his shoulder showed her anger and concern for the boy as she frowned at him for his disappearance in which he had no control over.  
         "I'm fine guys, really!" He reassured in annoyance.  
         Fieonexx eyed the two females, tuning out the conversation as she turned her gaze to Erwin. Feeling her burning stare he glanced at her, telling her to speak what she was thinking. "Are you sure they're going to be ready within a month's time? They're still babies practically, as were the rest of them."  
         "Are we truly ever ready, Fieonexx?" He countered, placing a burly hand in the crook of her neck, his eyes boring into her own.  
         "Point taken." She conceded, crossing her arms as a form of comfort,"I know I never am." Her gaze turned back to the recruits who now stood silent, unsure of what to do next. They looked like a crowd of sheep surrounded by hungry wolves.  
         Fieonexx sighed, leaving the group and making her way back to her isolation, her office. She had no desire to communicate with any of them, no desire to get close to someone and have them turn on her, not again. It was bad enough to have the titans threatening her life, but for her comrades to get into the mix was all but too much. Her fingers intertwined with the left strands of hair once more as she carried herself towards the brick building's doors.  
         "Fieonexx-" Erwin called, halting the girl before she got out of earshot, "Meet us in the dining hall, we're going to have an early celebratory meal today."  
         The girl groaned, turning to give a quick salute before continuing towards the doorway, this time her destination being different than her sanctuary.  
  
                -------------------------------------  
         _My brain is pooping on me again. I can't focus so I'm just going to end it here and continue in a different chapter. I guess this chapter was somewhat a look at Fieonexx's advancement in the Legion was and what her and Levi's relationship is kind of like._


	3. Chapter 3

        Fieonexx grumbled, snapping the buckles from her never ending sea of straps in anger. The harness met the stone floor with a loud 'clank' from the force of her bubbling rage.  
        "Stupid shit-" She scowled, kicking the harness to a corner of the room, "Fucking Erwin, and his-" A fist met the desk, causing the structure to quiver under the harsh blow, "stupid-" another blow, "fucking-", one after the other, her hands starting turn black and blue from the broken blood vessels under the mound of flesh, "IDEAS!" The last word resounded against the walls, her chest heaving up and down rapidly in an attempt to ease her turbulent mind.  
        She brought her trembling hands to her face, shielding herself from the outside world as she took deep breaths to calm the fire that blazed within her, "Quit being a bitch, Fieonexx." She mumbled to herself, "Gods, how pathetic."  
        A knock resounded on the door, the platinum haired female fixing her hair and her shirt which became disheveled in her momentary rampage upon her poor desk, "Who is it?" She attempted to sound calm and collected.  
        "Erwin." The voice simply replied.  
        "Come in." She granted him permission, mumbling the last part under her breath, "I guess."  
        Erwin dismissed the salute the girl gave, her figure slumping onto the desk with her leg crossed over the other, "I can tell you're upset, but please take it easy on the cadets. They haven't done you any wrong. You need to get along with them, as some of them will be your new squad members."  
        Fieonexx's only response to him was the crossing of her arms as she looked away from him, her foot beginning to bounce in annoyance. She peered at him through the corner of her eyes, feeling his unrelenting gaze, "Fine."  
        Erwin gave a short salute, leaving the girl in peace...until a certain scientist decided to barge in with a bottle in her hand, "Oh, Fieonexx~!" She sang, slapping the smallish bottle in the irritated girls hands, "I know your nerves must be on edge, so I brought you an early treat!"  
        Fieonexx peered into the opening, shifting her eyes from the bottle, to the scientist, and back to the bottle, "What did you do to it, Hanji?"  
        "Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. Just a little experiment to see if this will help calm you down; maybe it will work on our titan friends! Just think of what we could accomplish if all of the titans were blitzed out of their asses, too content to kill anyone!" She paused, continuing to speak after no response from the girl was made,"I knew today would be a rough one for you, so I waited until now to try this out."  
        "So you're saying you're using my emotions?" She grumbled, swirling the liquid. There was no telling Hanji 'no', and besides, it's not like she's killed anyone....yet.  
        "If you want to look at it that way." Hanji replied, her hands in a begging sort of manner to urge Fieonexx to pick up the pace. "This won't hurt you, I promise!"  
        Fieonexx eyed the beverage once more, a disgusted yet curious look adorning her face. The liquid swirled a couple of more times before the flask was brought to her lips, disappearing quickly in hopes of saving herself from the pungent taste. She sat the glass bottle on the desk, staring at Hanji as she bounced from foot to foot impatiently while giving the liquid some time to do its work.  
        Minutes had passed and her face never stopped beaming, "So," She started, giddy with curiosity, "How do you feel?"  
        The blonde put a hand to her head, "I feel...I feel like I'm....still pissed." She scowled jumping from the desk and unhappily making her way to the dining hall with the mad scientist in tow.  
        "Eren, what is it like here?" Ame asked, her face currently stuffed full of food to ward off the hunger that stabbed at her stomach earlier.  
        "Well, it's not anything scary or exciting, really." He started, "Captain Levi is probably the scariest part of being here. It's nonstop cleaning, and if looks could kill we would all be dead." Eren rest his head on his hand, thinking further about the Survey Corps, "I guess Hanji would be the second scariest. She's extremely into titan experiments, and boy can she talk and talk and talk for an entire day on just the basics, no exaggeration. Commander Erwin isn't bad, he's pretty nice, he just has that aloof attitude about him. He kind of reminds me of Armin, but not as cheerful."  
        The group seemed to chatter amongst one another at the newfound information, all curious to interact with their superiors and make their own judgment on them.  
        "Who's that?" Jean asked, gesturing over to the blonde who sulked through the door, trudging her way over to the table where the short raven haired male sat.  
        Eren shrugged, unable to give them much about the female, "I can't say, really. Her name is Fieonexx. I haven't ran into her much, I think she's been avoiding me. I'm sure she thinks I'm untrustworthy. She tends to hang around our superiors a lot, though. So I don't think she's a mere cadet like we are. I wouldn't say she's with Hanji, because I'm certain I would have seen her around when Hanji was conducting her experiments. She isn't a part of the Special Ops group with Levi, because she isn't around then, either."  
        "Maybe the commander's assistant?" Armin piqued, curious about figuring out her identity.  
        "Maybe." Eren commented, watching the girl slam down her third bottle of alcohol within a matter of minutes. From the way she moved he could tell she was feeling it, as her actions seemed slowed compared to earlier.  
        Ame eyed the female, "She must be troubled to drink so much so fast. I see the homeless do it all the time."  
        The two-toned haired male stood up, slamming his hands on the table, "I'm going to say hello." He smirked, boasting with confidence, "I'll be the first to get to know her." He jabbed a thumb into his chest, haughtily walking up to the girl with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.  
        Everyone watched in interest, making bets on whether or not he would be successful in his endeavors.   
        Fieonexx groaned as she watched the newbie approach, embracing herself for an awkward 'hello' that she knew she was going to have to go through. Erwin's gaze was saying he would not let her run off, or bite his head off for attempting to possibly communicate with them.  
        She mentally chanted in her head for him to choose someone else to talk to, but unless he were looking at the wall behind her, his sights were on nothing but her. Of course, he had to choose her out of the eight people at the damn table.  
        "Hi." Jean started, extending his hand out which Fieonexx hesitantly shook, "The name's Jean."  
        "Fieonexx." She simply remarked, taking a swig from her fifth alcoholic beverage. The world around her was becoming a blur, but she couldn't care any less. Who knows, maybe she would even forget this whole event...hopefully.  
        "How long have you been here for?" He questioned, pulling up a chair showing that he meant to stay a while and get familiar with her.  
        She internally screamed, cursing Erwin in the process as she scooted a little from the boy, "Too long." Erwin cleared his throat, the blonde mentally rolling her eyes before turning her attention to Jean to give a proper response, "Six years."  
        "Wow, that's quite a long time!" He beamed. "So, what all do you do here?"  
        She arched a brow at him, he was rather persistent on getting to know things that had no benefit for him. Then again, it was just friendly chatter to get acquainted with someone, but it was hard for her to open up to people after there being nothing but heathens in the world. "I'm a squad leader, is there anything else you care to know about in which serves you no point?"  
        Jean was slightly taken aback by her harshness, but clung to his ego and continued to pry. He really wanted to go back and brag that he was able to do something Eren wasn't. His eyes fell to the scar on her neck, her short hair in contrast to the longer side drawing his eyes to that general area, "Where did you get that scar from?"  
        "That's personal." She retorted, her hand covering the object in question.  
        "Don't you have anything better to be doing, Cadet?" Levi spoke up, sipping on his tea in his usual awkward manner. "You should be spending time with your peers, a lot of them will be dead the coming month."  
        The boy sat silent, not sure what to say to his Captain's remark. Levi peered at him, his icy orbs making the boy shiver, "Yes, sir!" He stood, giving a respectful salute before scurrying back to his comrades with a busted ego.  
        "Thank you," Fieonexx mumbled, her fingers intertwining in the short strands of hair for the thousandth time today, a new bottle making its way to her lips.  
        The raven haired male pulled her hand to the table, removing the bottle and sliding it across the table, "I think you've had enough for one night." He stated monotonously.  
        "Party pooper." She sighed, leaning back in the chair and staring at the ceiling.  
        "What's this!?" Jean whined, opening his arms in a gesture at the beverages on the table and his friends who downed them to turn their minds to mush for one night, and possibly the last time they would ever do such a thing.  
        "HaHa! Horse face has come galloping back with his tail between his legs!" Ame mocked, the bottle's contents spilling onto the table from her careless movements. Her face was flushed and her words slurred, she was drunk.  
        Eren pointed his finger, laughing at his friend in amusement, "You've only had two and you're already drunk!?"   
        Ame pouted, a low growl emitting from her throat before she slugged him in his arm, "You're no better!" She shouted, pointing out his drunken state. He really wasn't better off than she was, and he only had one and a half bottles.  
        "Give me MORE!" Sasha bellowed, slinging an arm onto the table. Her eyes were wild like that of a rabid animal, scrounging around the table for unfinished bottles.  
        "Tch, this place is a mess." Levi grouched. Peering around the room at the bottles that have tipped over, the contents spilled everywhere, the cadets passed out on the floor, the food that managed to make its way to the same spot as the cadets, and the sloppy mannerisms of those around him were enough to drive him crazy.  
        "Awww, lighten up, shorty! Everyone needs a breather after everything they've witnessed throughout the years and recent events!" The brunette cheered, turning her attention back to Fieonexx, "Drink this!" Before Fieonexx could question the liquid in Hanji's hands she felt it rushing down her throat, causing her to go into a coughing fit due to being unable to keep up with the rush of the substance.  
        "Wh-what did you just give me!?" She coughed, causing Levi to cover his face with his cravat to keep away the 'germs'.  
        "Oi, quiet down you scoundrels!" Oluo nagged, trying to imitate his irritated captain but failing miserably as usual.  
        "Oluo, if you're trying to mimic the Captain...just stop." Petra sighed, not impressed by his attempt.  
        The man crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, unhappy with the response he received from his crush.  
        "Oluo..." Fieonexx started, her pupils now as wide as saucers, "Shut your trap."  
        "Are you challenging me, underling?"  
        The blonde stood up, leaning over the table to stare him square in the eyes, "What are you going to do about it, wimp?"  
        "Fight, fight, fight!" Hanji cheered, "I'm betting on Fieonexx!"  
        "You underestimate me, brat." Oluo grinned, pushing Fieonexx away from him, causing the girl to stumble backward onto the hard floor. He let out a fairly weak battle cry, running to the girl to only be tackled to the floor, the duo taking turns slugging one another and throwing their opponent against the wall. The tables were no match for the bodies that slammed into them, causing some of them to topple over. Some of the others took notice of the two fumbling about the room in a drunken fight, daring their own comrades into a fight of their own, turning the room into a bigger mess.  
        "Hanji." Erwin started, pulling the attention of the girl momentarily, "What did you give Fieonexx?"  
        "Oh, nothing." She grinned, "Just a little something to make her relax. I hate seeing my little Fire Bird all choked up like that." Her glasses glinted in the light of the torches on the walls that lit the room dimly.   
        "What a stupid nickname." Levi remarked, continuing to sip his tea, "Hangover or not, everyone is helping clean this mess up tomorrow."  
        Tomorrow was going to be a long day, as lots of cleaning was to follow this festive night.  
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        Now I feel like drinking, dammit.   
Also hate how the formatting gets destroyed from transferring this from quotev.


	4. I pick...

  
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        "Ah, fuck." A hiss echoed in the bare room as the person the voice belonged to rubbed their side to numb the sharp pain in their ribs. The unoccupied hand covered their mouth as they yawned, traveling to the top of their head to scratch at the blonde strands that sat matted.  
        Fieonexx pulled her purple undershirt up, the one she wore yesterday and was now stained from the alcohol and dirt thanks to last night's events, to find a nice sized bruise on her torso. Upon further inspection she discovered more of the trapped blood splotches on her arms and legs, her memory coming back to her as her eyes passed each spot. If anyone had won that fight last night, it was the building and the furniture in it.  
        She sighed, slightly cringing as her feet hit the cold stone flooring as she made her way out her bed, and dragged herself to pick out a change of clothes. It wasn't a far walk, as her room was only big enough to fit the full sized bed and the dresser that held her entire wardrobe. A good ten minutes was spent as she looked around the small room in search of her harness for her to remember that she had kicked it into a corner in her office in her fit of rage. She would have to get that later.  
        Her bones popped as she stretched her back before making her walk to her destination, the shower, which she needed badly. Besides having a nose crinkling odor emitting from her, she was also sticky and grimy from the dirt and sweat.   
        She tossed the towel on the wooden bench, glancing at the female present before her who was currently in mid-strip, "You're up early." Was her greeting as she peeled the soiled top off of her, reaching around to her back for the clasp on the plain bra that held her breasts in place.  
        The girl turned around in shock, attempting to cover herself with the towel she had brought herself, "I-I couldn't sleep well!" She stammered, unsure of how to take her superiors presence. Was she allowed to be here at this time?  
        Fieonexx let out a small laugh, dropping her pants to the floor without any hesitation. Having to strip in front of your comrades in the shower was nothing new; they had to do the same thing during their training, "I didn't intend to startle you," She commented, watching as the girl turned her head to keep herself from gawking at the naked person in front of her, "What's your name?"  
        "Am I in the wrong area?" She asked, reaching out for her discarded top that was on the bench beside Fieonexx's towel, "And I'm Ame, by the way." The girl was flustered, hanging her head as she mentally scolded herself for possibly venturing into the wrong showering area.  
        Fieonexx shook her head, stepping into one of the shower stalls and turning on the water and stepping back out to let it warm up, "No," She crossed her arms, not looking at the girl to offer her privacy, "We all shower in the same spot."  
        Ame went wide eyed, choking on spit that pooled in her mouth, "A-ALL OF US?!" She screeched.  
        "Well," Fieonexx tested the water, stepping into as she deemed it comfortable enough. "All of us women. The men's are further down the hall."  
        The water felt relieving,  like multiple delicate kisses kissing away any impurities or pain that took residence within her body. Clothes could be heard dropping onto the floor as the only other person present continued on their journey to enjoy the rush of the water themselves.  
        "Uh..." Ame started, but trailed off, afraid to ask for help. This stranger was a tad bit nerve racking; the rumors about her weren't much friendly, "Uh...how do you turn this one on? There's...no knob?" Giving up, she went ahead and pushed her fear to the back of her mind and asked.  
        Smacking on the ground echoed in the barren shower room as wet feet hit the floor, the blonde jumping as she saw Fieonexx enter the stall with her and reach behind her to grab the small screw between her fingertips, "You have to use this small screw," Ame held her breath upon feeling the older woman's chest press against her shoulder, and jumped when the cold water hit her back, "There you go." Fieonexx quickly exited back to her own bathing area, picking up the soap and rag to begin cleaning herself off.   
        The two were silent for what felt like an eternity, not like either of them minded. Silence was much more preferred than screams. Screams, stomps, blades breaking, the sound of horse hooves galloping along the dirt road, the bell ringing as they returned from another blood bath, the sounds of bones crunching, sobs of despair, and arguments against friends as the ones who had lost loved ones on that day lashed out in anguish.  
        Fieonexx stared at the wall, the weight of the water pressing her hair against her wet body, "So, what made you decide to join the Survey Corps?"  
        Ame looked to the wall, where Fieonexx would be if the structure wasn't blocking the girl off. It was a while before she responded while she gathered her thoughts, "My friends. Ever since we were younger we would always talk about the outside world. One of them had this book that spoke of oceans that could swallow a titan whole, even the colossal titan. The trees were endless, just like the ground. Animals of all sorts in which we've never even seen before, plants, the sky. There is so much more out there, and it's all endless." She pondered for a moment if she should return the question, or if that would be prying too far, so she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.  
        "I see," The white-blonde acknowledged, "The world outside is beautiful, but it's hard to enjoy it without those monsters trying to devour you every waking second," She turned the water off, grabbing the towel and drying herself off quickly, her clothes following not long after, "Good luck out there next month." With that, she left, leaving Ame to hug herself while dark thoughts about the expedition clouded her mind. This was what she chose, and there was no going back now. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't. She had hoped to make a difference in the world whether she lived to see it come to fruition or not.  
        Fieonexx walked to her office, not noticing the tall male waiting for her behind her desk, "Good morning, Fieonexx."  
        She lightly jumped, not noticeable enough to the naked eye, "Erwin, what are you doing?" She interrogated him, walking over and picking up her harness from the hard floor.  
        "Enjoy your shower?" He ignored her question, watching as she buckled the straps across her body with ease, the task becoming second nature throughout the time she has been here.  
        The blonde shrugged, running the towel across her hair again, "Way to ignore my question, but yeah, I suppose I did," She walked up to the man, sitting on the desk with her right leg crossed over her left, and her arms across her chest, "Why?"  
        Erwin stood up, towering over the girl, "No reason in particular," He answered, handing her the brown jacket that adorned her body most of the time she was awake, "You didn't try to scare off that cadet that was with you, did you?"  
        "Nope," She simply remarked, popping the 'p' in the word in a smug manner, "And if it makes you happy, I'd even say we bonded a little."  
        He patted her shoulder, "Good, we don't need any possible future members of your squad scared shitless of you. Even Levi's group has warmed up to him."  
        She shrugged once more, "No promises." The boots clunked against the floor as she jumped from the desk, walking to the window to see the newbies lining up for their practice of the formation that they would perform when outside the walls. Lucky them, they managed to escape Levi's cleaning escapade for something more...exciting. She knew there was a reason Erwin was here, as he had been waiting for her for starters, and secondly he still hadn't left her alone after she tried to push herself into solitude.  
        "I know, you expect me to be down there to get acquainted." She groaned, leaving her perch to walk with Erwin to meet the fresh blood.  
        By the time the two of them had reached the outside, Levi and Hanji had already been waiting, the shorter male being silent as usual, and Hanji rambling on about her titan children and newfound discoveries.  
        "Fieonexx," Hanji yelled, running to the girl and shaking her back and forth by her shoulders, "How are you feeling!?" She pried, curious as to how the aftermath had left her friend feeling.  
        "Fine," She started, getting herself free from the crazed scientist's grasp, "A little sore, but I'm fine. I've been through worse." Fieonexx rubbed her side again, the shaking action making the pain surface again.

        "Alright," Erwin cleared his throat, turning everyone's attention to him, "Before we discuss the formation beyond the walls, we will have you demonstrate your abilities that way we know where to place everyone, and what we need to work on," The cadets nodded, two instructors ushering all twenty two of them, to the titan dummies that were hidden amongst the forest trees, "And Fieonexx, today you will choose who you want under your wing."  
        She didn't respond, him taking the hint to have the group of four walk to a good spot to watch the cadets perform against the false titans. All of them were pretty impressive, at least more so than the last group to come through here, but not many of them caught her attention. A particular blonde with a bowl cut had peaked her interest; he had little to no physical strength, but he seemed extremely intellectual. He looked fragile, and innocent, he probably wouldn't last long against the beings that towered above humanity.  
        "Alright," Fieonexx broke the silence, handing Erwin a piece of paper with names scribbled down on it, "I've decided." She walked off, Erwin unfolding the paper and glancing at the names. She had chosen two people, and quite an interesting pick indeed.  
        "Levi, send these two to meet up with Fieonexx inside," Erwin commanded, handing the shorter male the piece of paper, "She will explain what she needs about the formation to them."  
        He glanced at the paper, nothing on his face showing whether or not he approved of her choices or not, "Hanji, get these people to Fieonexx. I need to check something."  
        Hanji gave him a confused glance, looking to Erwin who raised a hand stating it was ok for her to carry out the action instead.  
        The shorter male searched the large building, finally finding her in the dining hall talking to Petra while helping finish up the cleaning. Upon seeing her captain, the auburn haired girl stiffened and hastily returned to her cleaning duties in fear of being scolded for slightly slacking off.  
        "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He stated, more so than questioned.  
        Fieonexx arched a brow, turning her attention back to mopping the sticky substance from the floor, "No, why?" She acted dumbfounded, knowing exactly why he was here. Of course he wouldn't approve of the ones she chose. One had no physical strength, and the other, while strong, was clumsy. If they were to ever get cornered by titans they would probably all die.  
        "You know what I mean." He remarked, the tone of his voice never changing. His eyes peered at her as she rest her chin on the tip of the mop.  
        "They have potential." She murmured, not bothering to look at him knowing that it would aggravate him, not that he would show it or ever make it known to those who don't know him enough. Fieonexx turned back to Petra, ignoring the raven haired man and continuing the conversation with the small girl, "Anyway, how are you getting along with your new squad member?"  
        Eren, already knowing the formation information, was stuck inside cleaning with them. The mention of him made his attention turn to them, all while making it not look obvious.  
        "Oh, Eren is great," She smiled, holding up her hand that had a bite mark embedded on it, "It was a rough start, but we've all grown to trust each other. You really should stop avoiding him, Fieonexx. He's not a bad person."  
        "I know, it's not like I would be able to anyway." She admitted in defeat.  
        "S-Squad leader Fieonexx!" Two voices called out in unison, the white-blonde turning to them to see two cadets saluting her, stiff as a board.  
        "Ah, you can just call me Fieonexx," She acknowledged, dismissing their salute, "And you don't have to do all of...that." She stated, gesturing at the salute they offered.  
        "Hanji sent us here, ma'am." The blonde with the bowl cut stated still nervous.  
        "Fieonexx," She corrected him, "Follow me."   
        The two of them followed her to her office, ignoring Levi as he watched them leave, still not finished with his lecture to his long time comrade.  
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_Mom's spaghetti.  
Hergindergin! _


	5. Lives of the Fragile

        I didn't draw the herse, just colored it. Found it on google images.          
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        "Eren..." Ame whispered, her attention whipping from her superior that laid before her to the direction in which the loud familiar roar resonated.   
        "Don't." Fieonexx panted, grabbing the younger girl's wrist to stop her from blindly riding off in an attempt to find Eren's location.   
        The two of them had gotten separated when the right flank of the formation was attacked by an onslaught of titans following a female titan. It was...different. A titan of such capabilities had never been seen before, it's speed and agility were unmatched from anything anyone has ever seen. Armin had hopefully made it out alive, and had delivered the information to the rest of the formation about the news of their comrades and the threat that they would soon be facing while Ame and Fieonexx had departed from the group in an attempt to eliminate the titan that was hot on their trail. Ame led the seven meter titan into a maze of buildings, Fieonexx ripping the flesh from its neck before it could snatch the younger girl from her horse. The two nodded in unison, turning to leave the collapsing structures as a seven meter abnormal had smashed through a building, the debris smashing into Fieonexx and knocking her from her horse with a wooden plank pinning her through her abdomen to a nearby building that crumbled on her from the impact. Ame sat frozen, not moving as the titan smashed through a few more buildings as it turned to her, leaping to nearly miss her as her arms whipped her horse's reins in instinct, pushing the beast into a gallop. She glanced back, noticing that Fieonexx has not moved an inch from her prison of rubble that slowly disappeared as the titan picked at the debris in a teasing manner like that of a cat playing with its prey.  Hesitation wracked her brain as she pondered whether or not to go back, or to try and catch up with the group which couldn't have gotten too far off yet; for all she knew, Fieonexx could be dead or on the brink of death. Was it worth risking her own life for that of a dead person? Ame gripped the reins, her knuckles turning purple and her palms engraved in purple crescent etchings from her nails that almost broke through skin. Another whip of the reins pulled the girl toward her comrade, her legs balancing her upright on the back as she leaped from the animals back, and latched onto the titan's neck with the metal hooks from her gear, zipping forward and dragging the sharp blades into the mound of flesh in a swift movement that caused the monster to drop to the floor in a heap of steam. Luckily the large being had already removed enough of the rubble from Fieonexx's body, allowing the slightly shorter blonde to pull the limp girl into a building, hiding from the outside world as she examined Fieonexx's body for the injuries she had received.  
        Ame ripped her wrist from Fieonexx's grasp, walking to her horse in shock, "He's in danger! I can't abandon him, he needs me!" She cried, jumping up onto the creature that awaited her orders. Her eyes bore into Fieonexx, not willing to waver her decision no matter how much her superior had pleaded or argued.  
        "You might not even make it to him," Fieonexx spat, sitting up with a grimace while holding her side that never ceased to spill red liquid, "If anything, you will die before you make it to him! You know nothing of the outside world. The attacks on Shinganshina and Trost are merely child's play compared to here! You don't know what or when something will happen!" She attempted to stand, only to fall back down with a hiss as the stinging sensation forced her to her knees again.   
        Ame scowled, pulling the reins to steer the horse towards the direction the sound was coming from, a patch of trees she was assuming. "I don't care," She growled, her voice full of malice and fear for her friend's safety, "I DON'T CARE! I'm not any better sitting her doing nothing!" A crack of the reins echoed and the horse reared its head, kicking the dirt before speeding off towards the isolated segment of woods.  
        Love.  
        It can make us do the craziest of things.  
        Fieonexx sighed, pressing the cloth into the fresh wound as an attempt to keep the blood from spilling as much. It needed to be sewn or cauterized at this point, but neither of the options were available in the current situation. Her free hand pressed into the ground, holding the weight of her wobbly body as she forced herself up, ignoring the pain that prodded at her mind for her to sit back down. A bloody hand pressed into her horse's side to keep her steady as she struggled to place her foot in the stirrup and swing her other leg over the horse's back.  
        The horse eyed her as if pleading her to stop and rest, but the animal's wishes fell as she swung herself on its back and steadied her posture to keep from falling.  
        "Let's go, Freya." Her voice was soft yet strong, her eyes pointing the horse in the desired direction. The animal was reluctant at first, but followed her master's orders and sped off in the direction. Just maybe, they would make it in time.  
        Fieonexx's breaths fell in short, rapid heaves, her lungs burning for air that came less and less as time went by. Her vision went in and out of focus, her skin turning pallor from blood loss. Her chances of surviving were slim compared to that of death; either a titan would come and devour her, she would bleed out, or if luck were on her side, she would get the help she needed in time.  
        The horse flicked its head, hearing her low pants and feeling her grip on the reins loosen, "Almost...there." She whispered, the leather straps slipping from her hands and her body sliding from the saddle to meet the earthy floor with a harsh thud. Freya reared, nudging the blonde girl with her muzzle but getting no response.   
        Fieonexx opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. The horse whinnied, nuzzling her one last time in defeat, looking around for any signs of danger before lying down beside the girl, ears flicking at the slightest noises. A soft hand pat the horse's neck, the creature pressing its nose into her neck as a response, "It's comfortable, isn't it?" The words confused the horse, as it wasn't sure how this scenario is what someone would call comfortable.  
        "The outside world is nice," A shaky hand reached towards the sky, the breeze she was able to feel felt wonderful as it grazed her fingertips, "The sun is so warm, but this grass is kind of itchy." She laughed, coughing afterwards and grimacing at the pain that shot through her body.  
        Her arm fell to her stomach, her mind wandering off to the Underground. There was no sunlight there except for small areas where the ceiling had small holes that would let some of the warmth filter through. The sun on the surface was nice, but it wasn't anything compared to the open air around her.  
        Freya listened, not quite capable of understanding what the delusional girl was talking about. Her head perked up, an ear flicking to a familiar sound pounding on the ground. Fieonexx noticed the horse's sudden direct of attention, watching in silence as the creature stood up.  
        Probably a Titan.  
        Fieonexx sighed, her mind telling her body to get up, but her limbs being unable to carry out the commands. Freya bolted off, quickly disappearing to leave the girl in her lonesome.  
        It felt like an eternity, but nothing had come. She was still there, growing more fatigued and numb.  
        "Fieonexx!" She turned her gaze, looking around to find nothing.  
        The blonde mumbled to herself, staring back at the sky,"I'm hearing things, I must have gone crazy."  
        "Fieonexx!" The same voice called, the girl glancing to the side again, this time spotting a faded figure growing closer with each ticking second. More splotches appeared in her vision, making her believe she truly had gone crazy.   
        "Fieonexx!" Again the voice called, close this time as the grass rustled underneath feet that jumped from the tall horse to kneel at her level.  
        She blinked a few times, unsure if what she was seeing was real or not, "Erwin?" Her voice cracked with shock, the tall male hastily moving her hand to inspect the area surrounded by wet blood.  
        Strong hands ripped the once purple blood soaked fabric to reveal the gaping wound, "Hanji!" The hysterical scientist ran over, gasping at the condition of her friend. She ran over to the supply cart, readying the supplies needed to fix the wound on Fieonexx's right abdomen. Erwin scooped the girl up, hastily walking to where Hanji waited impatiently and set her down, the brunette taking no time to get started on the wound.  
        She grabbed the alcohol, nodding for Mike to come restrain her legs and for Erwin to restrain her arms, "Alright, Fieonexx. Deep breaths, this may sting a little."   
        Fieonexx cried in pain, writhing under the burning sensation as the alcohol hit the wound and sterilized it. Her eyes pricked with tears as the cloth wiped the liquid away, more of it pouring into the wound a second time. Hanji wiped away the liquid, grabbing the needle and thread to stitch the wound up which still bled profusely.  
        "We can't stay here any longer." Erwin commented, still holding the girl still as she attempted to escape their grasp.  
        "Right," Hanji responded, handing the supplies to the medic who just finished with a previous person, "Here. It's deep, and she's lost a lot of blood. Jean! Reiner!" The two saluted the brunette, running to their superior's location, nodding to let her know they understood that their current orders were to stay with the medic and help restrain Fieonexx if need be.  
        "She's going to need blood. Either of you willing?"   
        Reiner shook his head 'no', Jean eyeing the needle but giving in, holding his arm out in defeat. Besides, how much could a needle hurt compared to a titan?  
        A lot, apparently. Jean wasn't one for needles it turned out, and poor Reiner had to hold down the second person within a short amount of time to let the doctor do his work.  
        Jean blew on his arm, hoping it would help soothe his now bandaged appendage which dully ached, "Never again."  
        Reiner pat his back, laughing to commend him for his 'bravery'.  
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The carts stopped, the deceased being laid out to allow people to say their final goodbyes, and the wounded being checked on to make sure they were still stable.  
        Mikasa, Armin, and Ame all went to the cart Eren resided in, the boy scolding Mikasa for saving him again. Ame hugged him, expressing her concern, "What happened? Are you ok? I thought it was their duty to protect you!"   
        Eren covered his mouth, tears pooling in his eyes as he recalled the female titan, and Levi's squad working together in unison without a word being uttered. Everything seemed to be flawless, and they were winning. Then it all suddenly changed, and just like that they were gone. All of them. The regret forever tugged at his mind, dragging him to hate himself for not trusting in his gut and attacking the female titan like he wanted. Why did he have to trust them? They would still be here if he had just trusted himself.  
        Ame noticed his change in attitude, backing off slightly knowing to not pry any further, "I'm sorry." She apologized, rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him.  
        Levi walked to a certain row of corpses, kneeling down at a particular one and pulling out a knife. The white fabric encasing the body was pushed slightly to the side to reveal a Survey Corps insignia belonging to Petra. He sat silent a moment, dragging the knife against the threads to free the badge from the jacket, pocketing it as a memento.  
        "Levi," Erwin spoke, the shorter male turning to him, stoic as usual, "It's time to head out."  
        He said nothing, turning to go to his horse.  
        "What!? We have to go back! We can't just leave Ivan back there!"  
        "Knowing he died in battle should be enough to know that they were alive." Levi commented, appalling the two soldiers that were throwing a tantrum over retrieving their dead friend's body.  
        Erwin and Levi turned around, heading to their horses and ignoring the cries of the two boys, "You guys have no hearts! You aren't even human!"  
        The ride back to the walls was quiet aside from the rumbling of the carts and galloping of the horses' hooves. Mikasa sat in the cart with Eren, Ame riding beside him and keeping an eye on him from time to time. Armin rode by Fieonexx, happy that his two friends were able to make it back to the group alive.       
           Loud pounding shook the earth before them, pulling the attention of a few soldiers to the rear to notice two titans following Dieter, his friend Ivan being carried along with their friend riding beside him. Their faces showed that they were terrified, the titans zeroing in on them and swatting at them, causing Ivan to fall off of the horse and be left behind once more. A large hand grasped Dieter's friend, the titan swallowing him as the second titan grabbed Dieter, eyeing him hungrily. Snot ran from his nose, tears spilling down his face as the titan opened its mouth to devour him just like his friend, only to fall after Mikasa sliced the tender flesh on its neck. Dieter pushed himself free of the titans grasp, processing that he nearly met his death due to carelessness.  
        The second titan still ran at them, the weight of the dead bodies slowing the horses down, allowing the titan to close in on them. Levi glanced back, his hand touching his injured leg as he narrowed his eyes in defeat, turning to the two men on the cart.  
        "Leave the dead behind."  
        "Wh-what, but-"  
        "They are no different than the soldiers that got left behind. Why should they get special treatment?"  
        The two looked at the raven haired man, to each other, then back at the titan.  
        "We have no choice."  
        The gate of the cart dropped, the bodies being pushed out one by one, rolling under the titans feet. Levi's stare fixed at the bodies tumbling away, his pain not showing on his face. The final body dropped out, bouncing off the ground and the white cloth whipping open, a bloodied face with auburn hair revealing the dead soldier.  
        Petra.  
        Levi continued to stare, reality setting in once more for him upon seeing her face one last time before rolling away, the titan's foot smashing down and hiding her body, never to be seen again.  
        "It worked!" The cart sped up, the titan being left behind with no hopes of catching its prey.  
        The carts pulled into a spot the Survey Corps claimed on one of their previous expeditions, only momentarily to check on the injured and to recollect their frazzled nerves.  
        Levi hopped off of his horse, walking over to Dieter who still had a hard time processing the death of his two friends, and his own that he barely managed to escape, "This was Ivan's."   
        The boy stared, slowly grabbing the badge which was cut from Petra's jacket, "Captain." Was all he uttered, the tears spilling down his face as he was unable to form any words.  
        The short male walked over to Fieonexx's cart, peering down at the girl who slept peacefully, the wound from earlier no longer being an issue, "Tch. Idiot." He mumbled, brushing strands of hair off of her face which still held a pale look to it, but not as bad as before. She still needed blood, but what Jean gave her would be enough until they got back inside the walls.  
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        The bell rang, signaling that the troops were returning from the outside world. People had pooled along the streets, commenting on how few of them had returned. Harsh comments were the only thing that came from their mouths, Eren sitting up in anger, ready to rip into them. Upon spotting a boy and his sister, he laid back down, their admiration for the Survey Corps temporarily cooling him down enough. His arm covered his face, light sobs emitting from him as he fought back the tears from today's battles.

        "Eren-" Ame started, but was cut off from Mikasa shaking her head 'no', saying that it wasn't the proper time to try and console him.  
        "Captain Levi," A voice cut through the humiliation of the crowds crude remarks, a small man running up to Levi, "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I'm Petra's father. I thought I'd stop and talk to you before Petra saw me. She sent me this letter saying she could be of use to you, and wished to live up to your expectations. How worried that news could make a parent. As her father I was probably thinking it too early for her to marry, you know. She's so young and has her life ahead of her so-"   
        Levi drowned it out after that. Having to be reminded of Petra's death, and her father speaking to him was too much for him to process, so he shut it all out. How could he face him after witnessing what he had?   
        The crude remarks never seemed to cease, and many tried to get Erwin to speak to them, but he remained stoic and peered ahead, not bothering to acknowledge either of them.  
        The failure of this expedition meant one thing-  
        Eren would be handed over to the authorities.  
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I didn't feel like typing out the entire 57th expedition, because I'm sure we all know what actually happened, and don't need to read/see it for the billionth time XD


	6. Better to Worse

        "Oh, Fieonexx," Hanji beamed, leaning over the girl who laid tucked under a blanket on the medical bed, "You're awake, good!"  
        She yawned, shifting herself into a leaning position, her left hand supporting her weight while the free appendage massaged her neck, "How much longer am I going to be stuck here? I've been here for two days already."  
        "Well," Hanji responded, peeling the blanket back to reveal a baggy gown, "That's what I came here to assess." She finished, Fieonexx's skin erupting into a blaze of goosebumps as cold air swarmed her skin, the warmth of the gown lost as the brunette picked the thick cloth up to prod at the wound on the blonde's stomach.  
        Fieonexx's attention hardened on her crazed friend, a look of shock on her face, "What's wrong?" Her gaze turned from Hanji down to where the scientist's cold hands grazed over the skin, her own eyes enlarging at the unexpected sight.  
        "Fieonexx, do you know what this means," She boomed, ecstatic as her usual insane look adapted back to her face, "Remember how Eren offered to donate more blood when we got back to headquarters?!"  
        She slowly nodded, feeling that the thoughts that ran through her head were the same as Hanji's, "It sped up the healing process somewhat similar to that of a titans, I'm assuming?"  
        Hanji nodded, jumping about the room while mumbling off a long list of experiments she had already began to think up. Fieonexx tuned her out, an arm slinging over a raised knee while she glanced around the room at the others who were stuck in the same boat as she was. The events of the expedition were nothing but blanks right now, but by the looks of those around her, she knew it wasn't good. Of course, news had also managed to crawl its way into the infirmary by those who came to visit their injured friends; whether or not she believed any of it, she didn't know if she wanted to, especially not the rumor about Levi and his squad. She had to know.  
        "Since only a scar remains, I'm going to dismiss myself of my stay in here any further." She remarked, causing Hanji to stop her lunatic ramblings for a short while.  
        Hanji nodded, "Good idea," She paused, her face contorting into confusion while she pondered if she should remind Fieonexx of her office, "Not to be a downer, but I don't want you getting stumped with paperwork. It's already getting quite high."  
        Fieonexx sighed, that being her sign that the expedition was a bust. It was quite possibly the worst expedition in the entirety off all expeditions, which was saying a lot, "So the rumors are true, then," She walked to the door, pausing under the frame as she glanced over her shoulder, "Tell me. The special operations squad, did they....die?"  
                The brunette was silent for a moment, her mouth agape as her brain processed a response to the unexpected question, "Yes," She responded, slightly lowering her head, the sun glinting off of her glasses in an eerie manner, "I suppose you didn't know. While you guys were separated the group got attacked by a female titan with intellect much like Eren. As an attempt to keep him out of danger, they...didn't make it."  
        "I see," Her gaze turned forward, no longer looking back at Hanji, "And how is Levi?" It had happened to him again; the ones he had gotten close to, they died. She remembers his first loss, Isabelle and Farlan. Looking at him now, you would have never thought he had such a range of emotions, but heartbreak can do some crazy things to people.  
        "He's...been better," Was her hesitant response, "He's been swamped with a ton of paperwork ever since we came back. If I were in his shoes I don't know if I would count it as a blessing or a bad omen. It might help him keep his mind off of things, but it might also remind him. He saw them, the worst way to see someone for the last time."  
        Fieonexx nodded, carrying herself to change her clothes, then making her way to the cupboard full of tea, picking out two cups and Levi's favorite, black tea. Gently setting the fragile glass on the counter, she filled the kettle full of water, setting it on the stove. Her slender figure leaned against the counter, the heat from the fire that warmed the stove emitting on her legs. Fingers gently tapped the surface, leg bouncing to keep her occupied while she waited for the whistling sound of the kettle.  
     The small kettle sang its tune, her body pushing from the counter as her hand wrapped around the handle, a rag setting in the other as she used it to tip the hot surface without singeing her hands. Steam floated into the air, curling before dissipating entirely as the boiling water splashed into a metal pitcher that held the loose tea grounds. A small strainer was placed over the cup, the now ready tea pouring into the small container, the leaves getting trapped in the mesh contraption on the cup.  
        She stared at the steaming mugs, sighing before picking them up and making her journey to the small man's office, where he was more than likely occupying space at.  
        Moments passed as she stared at his door, not sure if she was ready to be around him yet. She shook her head, pushing the thoughts from her mind as a boot gently kicked at the door as an attempt to knock since her hands were full.  
        "Who is it?" The voice behind the door questioned, still cold as ever, yet it seemed empty.  
        Fieonexx stood quiet for a moment, the words fumbling out of her mouth, "I-it's Fieonexx," There was no response, she couldn't tell if he was mad at her or if he just wasn't in the mood for company, "May I come in?" She softly asked, the will to sit with him fleeing from her every silent second.  
        "I suppose." He granted.  
        She nodded, to no one in particular, gently balancing the second cup on her hand to free the other and twist the knob, opening the door to the tension heavy room. Hanji was right, he was deep in paperwork; if you stacked it all into one stack you might be able to rival his height with the paper.   
        Slowly, she sank into the chair, keeping her gaze on him the entire time, neither of their eyes leaving one another which only made the air ten times thicker than it was; she thought she was suffocating, but in reality her lungs filled with air without issue. Levi's gaze fell to the tea, drawing her to remember she was holding the cups of piping hot liquid.  
        "Oh, I figured you might be thirsty." She broke the silence, sliding the cup towards the silent obsidian haired male. Her gaze wandered around the room, spotless as ever, before returning to him.  
        Levi grasped the cup in his particular way, sipping the drink carefully to keep from scalding his tongue, "I thought you weren't one for black tea." He commented in effort to make small talk.  
        Fieonexx shrugged, sipping on her own beverage now that the lump in her throat had started to disappear, "It's alright, but not my preferred choice," She took another sip, watching the liquid move in the cup as it made its way to her mouth, "I didn't feel like making a different batch of green tea."  
        There was no response, the deafening silence making its way back into the atmosphere. Small scratches of the quill against paper could be heard every so often. She glanced at a piece of paper on the corner of his desk, the only piece that sat by its lonesome. A hand flew to her mouth, the teacup slipping from her numb fingers and shattering all over the once pristine floor.  
        Petra Ral- Deceased.  
        "Fieonexx-" Levi shook her back and forth, attempting to pull her back into reality and out of whatever nightmare she was experiencing, "-Fieonexx!" He slightly raised his voice, a small hint of concern in his solemn voice. The girl shuddered, slowly returning to her living nightmare to notice the small male standing next to her, calloused hands grasping onto her bare shoulders. She looked at the floor, the tea slowly running its course along the cracks of the stone floor.  
        "Fuck." She scowled, marching her way to his closet of cleaning supplies. Of course he would have a stash of cleaning supplies in his vicinity, lucky for her in this moment.  
        He placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in tracks, monotonous silver orbs peering into her arctic ones, "Are you ok?" His tone of voice matching that of his eyes.  
        "Yes." She nodded, maneuvering around his hand and to the expanding mess on the floor.  Her hands scrubbed at the floor harshly, blistering her hands as her mind wandered to the beginning of her journey in the Survey Corps, when Isabelle and Farlan were still around. Brows knitted together, eyes stinging with the salty liquid that now threatened to spill over.  
        Her hands stilled, face going blank as the memories of that day clawed their way back to the top, forcing itself from the repressive barrier she fought to keep up on random nights when things got tough, on nights she would feel alone, when everything had felt hopeless-  
         _"Levi," Erwin called out, riding upon a steaming pile of mangled titan remains, a few soldiers sprawled out around it, "Are you the only one who managed to survive?_ These titan _remains," He glanced around the field, only spotting the dark haired male to be living from the group, "Did you kill them all by_ yourse _-"_  
 _Erwin was cut short as he flew_ form _atop his horse, harshly meeting with the damp ground from the storm that flooded the earth._  
 _"Back off!" Levi hissed, stopping Mike in his tracks to assist the shocked blond. The sharp blade rest on Erwin's shoulder, threatening to rip its way into his neck any given second,  "Erwin," His voice dripped with venom, the most emotion Fieonexx had ever seen Levi display, "I'm going to fucking kill you. That's the only reason I'm still here."_  
 _Fieonexx furrowed her brows. This wasn't the Levi she knew, or, did she really even know him at all? She balled her hands into fists, taking Levi by surprise as she slammed her body into his, tackling him to the ground. A harsh fist met with her jaw, toppling her to the side, her hands grasping onto his jacket collar and pulling him with her. She rolled to the side, barely escaping a blow to her gut, her foot colliding into his sternum which momentarily winded him._  
 _"What the fuck are you doing, Levi?!" She bellowed, pushing herself off the floor, the two of them running at one another again. Levi slammed her into the ground, his foot locking her hands behind her back from the force exerted upon them, hand tangling into her hair._  
 _"Move, and I kill her." He spat, positioning a blade at her neck upon noticing Erwin's attempt to advance._  
 _The white blonde peered at him, her face stuck in the muddy wet grass. Her eyes widened; Isabelle and_ Farlan _, they both lie on the ground, motionless. Dead. The shock consumed her momentarily, her attention being pressed back into reality when the hilt of the blade tapped against the top of her head._  
 _"I'm talking to you, Fieonexx," Levi growled, her attention drifting to him, "When did you become Erwin's 'pet'? Does he fuck you like the bitch you are?"_  
 _Fieonexx narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth at Levi, this person was definitely not the friend she knew and trained with, "What the hell is wrong with you? Did Isabelle and_ Farlan's _death drive you bat-shit crazy!?"_  
 _"Enough," Erwin interrupted, "These are the documents of Nicholas_ Lovoff _," Levi removed the blade from Fieonexx's neck, glaring at Erwin as he had admitted to the whole scheme being a bluff, "The real documents are now in the hands of Darius_ Zacklay _._ Lovoff _is done for."_  
        "Hey, you're doing it again," Levi remarked, pushing the girl back and forth, "You keep spacing out."  
        She blinked a couple of times, taking a moment to become aware of her surroundings, "Huh?   
        "Tch," He scoffed, picking the dirty rag from her hands, "Are you sure you shouldn't still be in the infirmary?"  
        "No, I'm fine," She assured, standing up, "Really. Anyways, you look busy, so I'll leave you alone." Her heel pivoted, facing her towards the door. Levi grabbed her wrist, a silent plea for her to stay.  
        "It's time for lunch, we should head to the dining hall."  
        Fieonexx merely nodded, following him to their destination. The walk was silent, cadets scooting closer to the wall to steer clear of Levi's path, a few of them greeting Fieonexx and asking how she's doing ever since the expedition, only to get a quiet 'I'm fine' and a nod as she brushed passed them. He would glance at her from time to time, wishing in that moment that he could read her mind and figure out what was bothering her; why she was being so distant all of a sudden.  
        "Fieonexx!" Two voices called in unison, running to their squad leader.  
        "Oh, hi Armin, Ame." She greeted with a slight smile.  
        Armin gave a gentle smile in return, "I'm glad you're ok. Ame told me about what had happened with that titan." His gaze turned to the figure next to him, immediately forming a stiff salute in hopes of not getting scolded for not saluting their squad leader, "Hello, S-sir."  
        Ame followed suit, the both of them dropping their salutes when Levi coldly dismissed it, "Sorry for bolting off like that..." She stared at the floor, fidgeting with her hands behind her back, "I should have listened to you."  
        "It's ok, I understand." She assured. The stare Ame was getting from the short superior was saying her actions were far from ok, causing the girl to run off in fear, Armin in tow.  
        The blonde sighed, making her way to the table where Erwin, Hanji, Mike and Moblit sat. She sat next to Erwin, Levi taking the seat next to her while they all sat silently, except for Hanji of course. Erwin eyed the white-blonde, noticing her change in behavior. She was usually quiet, but there was an air about her that was dull, as if her soul had left and she was just a walking corpse.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
goooooooodnight. zzzzzz, I'm tired.  
More tomorrow me hope.


	7. Memories

 

 

 

In four days time, Eren would have to be handed over. The commander, along with Armin, had advised a plan as a last attempt in keeping the titan shifter in their custody. It would be a tricky one, and would possibly lead to Erwin's imprisonment; and maybe, even death. The outside world would meet the inner walls at its deepest core, and there were more chances for failure than there were success. Lives of the innocent would be brutally taken, whether it be civilians or that of the military. 

Levi's injury had made him incapable of strenuous use of the maneuvering gear; using it only if necessary. He would assist Erwin in traveling with the decoy.

"If all goes well, this could be useful information, in case our decoy plan turns sour," Hanji continued, Fieonexx barely following along with the bespectacled woman who held a syringe with Eren's blood at eye level, "There are so many questions that need answers. Will it work for everyone? How fast will it work? Are there any side effects? What if it does different things for different people?" A lowly cackle ripped from her throat, her first victim being stalked upon.

"Going from the only information we have at the moment, it seems as though the process is pretty fast. I don't think everyone is able to use this, though. Not everyone has the same blood type." Fieonexx remarked, eyeing the still cadet on the infirmary cot as the needle pierced through his skin. It wouldn't matter whether or not this guy died, he was already on his death bed, but perhaps this could give him another chance.

Hanji merely nodded before continuing with her experiment, "Subject one. Male, blood type A." She dated the top, along with the person's name and time. Minutes passed and nothing noticeable was happening, leaving the brunette to sigh and grab a seat, plopping into it while staring in determination.

"Are you going to sit there while waiting for a reaction?" A blonde brow arched in curiosity, her only acknowledgment to her question being a slight nod.

The room was eerily quiet, the only sound echoing in the half barren room being coughs or the creaking of the thin cots as people tossed and turned in discomfort. Hanji's usual rambling mouth was glued shut, her eyes unblinking as she continued to stare in a hunched over position, her hands laced together to support her head which rest upon them. Fieonexx glanced around the room, picking a spot on the wall to lean against and get lost in her own thoughts. The room was warm, the slight breeze that drifted through the open windows comforting those whose skin was plastered in sweat.

"What's this?" Hanji's soft spoken words of curiosity pulled Fieonexx's attention to the test subject, watching as her companion reached forward to touch the skin that now began to bubble and steam.

"Hanji!" She boomed, rushing to the scientist and pushing her out of the chair, "Don't touch him!" The duo shielded their faces, the bubbling skin splattering the walls with blood and busted skin tissue. Hanji attempted to get closer, watching the man's body twitch, his blistering body slamming onto the floor as the bed tipped over from the tremors. Fieonexx grasped a blade, the sharp weapon gleaming from the bright rays that flooded the room. Bone chilling howls reverberated off of the walls, his body trembling more viciously as the blood surged through his body, "D-Do I kill him!?"

"No!" Hanji pleaded, grasping her wrist while she continued to watch as the man wreathed, pleading for his suffering to end. Her brows knitted, lips pursed together as she forced herself to watch the man endure his torture. How badly she wanted to grant him his wish, but that would mean ending the result that could possibly turn for the better.

"Hanji!" Fieonexx argued, attempting to step closer but being held back by the five-foot-eight brunette. She scowled, fighting back her humanity to help the poor soul, "This is inhumane." She exclaimed, clenching the blade harder and turning her head from the man. Her own body trembled, the conflict between her mind and heart driving her mad.

Hanji grasped Fieonexx's hands as an attempt to ground her, "To some, perhaps," She whispered, her gaze never leaving the slowly steadying subject, "If it were me, I would be honored to help take a step to possibly bettering humanity against the titans."

"Make it stop..." The blonde whimpered, clenching her eyes shut as an attempt to remove her senses from the event taking place. 

The screams never stopped, the smell of burning flesh wafting in the room as his leg began to blister and pop. His body was like a bomb, bits and pieces of him bursting all over the floor as the screams began to die out, the spasms following shortly. He laid limp, face frozen in anguish from the torture he had endured moments ago. The room was now a deafening silent, a few of the others inhabiting the room peering at the spot in fear and curiosity.

Hanji released Fieonexx, hastily walking to him and crouching beside him, "Hanji-" Fieonexx tried to protest, falling silent as her friend dragged a gloved finger across his body to only rip it away with a few curses escaping due to the scorched skin singeing her fingertip.

"Ow ow ow!" She hissed, shaking her hand to cool off her now throbbing red digit, "Holy hell that's hot!"

"I could have told you that," Fieonexx stated 'matter of factly', grabbing a mop and bucket. She sighed, fighting to keep the contents in her stomach down, "Fuck, this is nasty." Her face twisted in disgust, the squishing sound of the mop making it all the harder as it ran over the blood and body tissue. She grew frustrated, the task at hand seeming to take forever as the blood only smeared worse around the area.

Hanji grasped the mop from her, setting it to the side as she ushered Fieonexx out the door, "I'll have Moblit help me take care of this. It requires a little more hands on first, and I don't think you have the stomach for that task right now." She smiled lightly, giving the blonde a gentle nudge out the door before closing it.

She stood still, staring off into nothing for a few moments before raising a clammy hand to her sweaty face. The air out here was much nicer than it was in the infirmary; out here it was clean and cool, the complete opposite of that humid, stagnant, pungent air which now burned with the smell of seared flesh and cleaning chemicals. She shook her head, swallowing a few times to try and sooth herself and rid her mind of the images and sounds of the poor man that fell victim to a failed experiment. The Survey Corps was full of surprises and morbid things, this one taking its place on the top of her list.

 

 

The hard wooden chair made the loads of paperwork she had to rush through all the more dreadful. Between the failed experiment, her restless nerves, and this to add to it, left her squirming in discomfort and unable to concentrate. Writing letters to the families of the deceased had become extremely daunting, and she couldn't find herself to pull through it. She knew what it was like to have lost family and loved ones all too well, even before coming to the Survey Corps; no one would feel as though their family member's sacrifice was worth anything if the words they received were all but heartfelt. While a lot of these fallen soldiers were ones she knew nothing about, she wouldn't let the final memories of them here be in vain or as if they were a pawn to the organization. 

 A low groan pierced the silence of the room, fingertips running through the blonde tresses, settling in a tangled mess as she intertwined her digits in the lopsided half that was shorter due to the incident a year ago. She leaned back, staring at the bland ceiling in frustration. If the titans didn't kill her, the never ending growing stress would. Being here and kept constantly busy had made it all but impossible to form a plan of action to enact revenge on those who had hurt her. Her free arm slung across her eyes, the memories flooding into a vivid display to torment her further.

 

_"Fieonexx, why don't you go outside and play? It's nice out today," Her mother gently prodded the child out the door, turning her full attention to her husband once it was just the two of them, a deadly silence hanging in the air before she dared to question him, "What's the word?"_

_He shook his head, his expression letting her know that things had not gotten any better. The small family of three lived peacefully in the Orvud District that outlined wall Sina, but the recent upturning of events had left the Rysher family under some harsh accusations. "Not any better. I don't know how much longer we can stay here. No one is willing to help or supply the family of 'traitors'."_

_"Traitors!?" She bellowed, throwing the dish she was drying onto the floor in rage, the pristine dish splintering everywhere in dangerous shards, "The people of this fucking place are so quick to judge a person before hearing both sides of the story!" The wooden door to the closet squeaked as she harshly swung it open, grasping for the broom and dustpan to clean the mess she had just caused._

_A troubled sigh left his throat, his body wearily taking refuge in an open chair at the table, "What can you expect, Rika?" Low chuckles replaced his sigh as he covered his face with his right hand, leaning his elbow on the table, "It's the words of the royal palace versus our own. Whom do you really think them to believe?"_

_She grit her teeth, placing the broken pieces in the trash can and returning the cleaning item back to its rightful place, "Is there really anywhere for us to go? Fieonexx is only eleven. All of her friends can no longer see her due this rumor, and she's not getting sufficient shelter or food. This is on top of the snide remarks she gets out in public; this is no place for her to grow up."_

_Fieonexx clenched her fists against her knees, her bangs barely covering her eyes from her slouched posture and her legs crossed as she leaned against the house near the doorway. She had always hated it here; sure, the economy was nice, and the people living here are considered lucky to have such luxuries, but the people were as fake as the rumor going about. Everyone wanted to pretend to be your friend so long as it benefited them, but no one stuck by your side, and the kids that she was forced to play with were only interested in entertaining themselves._

_A boy whose family was higher up than her own would often force her to play with him, blackmailing her by making statements that he would get his parents to get hers exiled to the outside world by saying her mother would abuse him, and force him to do things no child should ever have to do. He would drag her along to an empty area to have a picnic, making her play the role as his 'wife' in which he would make her feed him, and would forcefully plant kisses on her as she struggled to get away from him._

_"If you don't kiss me, I'll tell my dad on you. He'll make sure your parents pay for raising such an ungrateful whore." He would snarl, his small hands grasping her chin hard enough to leave bruises as he forced her to stare at him._

_Tears cascaded her flushed and puffy face, her body hurting from the constant trembling and the grasp he held on her,"I don't want to kiss you!" She cried, attempting to reason with him but refusing to move an inch to prevent from setting him off._

_"My dad said girls who are inferior to a man don't get to choose," He grinned, his rancid breath causing her to flinch as he inched closer, "But I'll give you one," He paused, his dominating aura swallowing her timid and caged one, as she was unsure of how these things really worked, and she didn't want to take any chances, "So will you kiss me, or will you kill your parents?"_

_"I-I don't know." She whispered, shifting her gaze from his face, unable to move her head from the death grip that remained on her chin. He knew which option she chose, but she refused to say it, not wanting to give him that last bit of authority over her._

_"Say it." He spat, growing impatient at her silence. His hand jerked her face, pulling her attention back to him, his gaze darkening as the words still refused to move passed her lips, "Say it!"_

_She shuddered, swallowing the lump in her throat as she brokenly gave up the last bit of consent, "I want you to...kiss me." She whispered, the end of the sentence silent enough to escape waiting ears, "I want you to kiss me!" She yelled, her skin burning from the harsh grip that tightened at her timid words from before, the newfound ones blurting from her mouth in agony._

_"Smart choice." He assured her, brashly pressing his lips against her own._

_He was twelve at the time, and she was ten. It had been a year since she had fortunately last seen him, as he had gone off to join the military to become a member of the military police._

_The girls were no better.  Their play dates would consist of her being a pack mule as they ran around picking things up, pretending to be shopping or baking._

"Fieonexx!" A harsh rapping at the door pulling her from her thoughts, preventing her from venturing further into her past. She lifted her head, removing her arm and stared at the door, "Fieonexx, open the door." The voice commanded coolly, her attention turning from the knob that jiggled as the person tried to push into the room, and to her collarbone where a cold drop of water had dripped from her chin.

 Her hand wiped across the rigid bone, floating to her face to discover the fresh stream of liquid as its source. She grasped her sleeve in her hand, running the bunched up cloth across her face to wipe up the remaining tears before she opened the door, revealing an all too familiar stoic Levi, "What?" She pried, wondering what his intentions for her were.

His gaze fluttered to the side momentarily, taken aback by her puffy face and red eyes before flickering back to her, "Here." Was his simple remark as he handed her a cup of fresh tea, a cup of his own in the other hand.

"Thank you," She muttered, taking the small cup from his hands and letting him in, finding her own spot back to her uncomfortable chair, "Did you already finish all of your paperwork?" The cup made a gentle noise as it sat to her right, her dominant hand picking up the pen to attempt to continue her neglected job.

He simply nodded, taking a sip of his black tea while watching her struggle to find words to jot down. A gentle hand plopped onto the top of her head, slightly ruffling her hair as a form of comfort. Levi wasn't one to use words, but rather body language to express himself. The simple gesture relieved Fieonexx, knowing that her friend of many years had taken note of her state but dared not pry. If she were ready to speak, she would, and he had come to learn that throughout the years they had been together. She reached for the cup, tipping the still hot liquid gently between her lips earning Levi a slight smile. Another perk to being long time friends was that they both knew how the other liked their tea, amongst many other things.

The room was quiet albeit the scratching of the pen on paper and the shuffling of the paper as she moved on from one to the next. Their tea had been long gone, but Levi never left, his gaze mostly turned to look out the window, but would sometimes fall back to Fieonexx. It was starting to get late, the sun had touched the horizon to bid everyone a farewell until it would rise again the next morning, a sign that the next day's events would all replay over with a few changes to prepare for the upcoming decoy mission.

The blonde turned her attention to the window, standing up and stretching her aching limbs upon realizing the time, "I guess we better get going to the dining hall before we miss dinner." She broke the silence, pausing by Levi to wait for him to accompany her on the short journey to their destination.

"I didn't think you'd ever take a break." He poked, doing a small stretch of his own and taking his spot beside her as they walked through the dim candlelit halls.

 

"Fieonexx~!" Hanji called, waving at the duo entering the room to beckon them to the table that she, Erwin, Mike, and Moblit occupied.

"Hanji." She simply greeted, a slight wave of her hand as she took her usual spot beside Erwin, Levi beside her.

"The food's pretty good today! At least compared to what we usually get." Hanji commented as Erwin graciously retrieved their bowls of soup for them and sat them in front of them, a slice of bread being the complimentary side.

She picked up a spoon, pausing to reply to the brunette before popping the spoonful of soup in her mouth, "It smells good." The warm liquid rushed down her throat, filling her hunger clenched stomach leaving her to sigh in content. Of course, this wasn't anything compared to what those within the inner walls got, but it was better than what was in the underground, and it was welcoming enough to just be able to eat with your friends and comrades.

"How is your paperwork coming along, Fieonexx?" Erwin interrogated, turning his body slightly towards her to show his attention was on her.

"Oh," She started, setting the spoon aside and taking a bite of bread, swallowing the bland substance before continuing, "It's halfway done. I'll probably finish the rest of it before I go to sleep." The bread quickly disappeared, the bowl reaching her lips as she poured the liquid into her mouth, the pieces that required chewing already gone.

"Don't worry about it," He stated, placing a burly hand on her shoulder, "We have to go over the plan tomorrow early in the morning."

She nodded, slightly smiling at him as she set the bowl down, "Alright. I can't argue with that." The chair made a harsh squeaking noise as the legs scraped the floor. With a final wave goodbye, Fieonexx headed off to her small room, hastily stripping herself of her clothes and jumping underneath the covers, hoping to get a good night's sleep.

 -----------------------------

Stepping on the beach, a woo doo doo! Little bit into Fieonexx's past c:


	8. Gale

The wheels of the wagon creaked as they spun atop the brick roadways, a slight breeze filtering through the open doorway.

Fieonexx lifted her head from the palm of her hand, her wrist popping as she moved it in a circular motion to relieve the tension it held. She glanced towards Jean; he was to be Eren's decoy on their journey to the inner walls to hand him over to the Military Police. Her knuckles cracked as she wiggled them, realizing her free hand had been clenched shut by her side the whole time. Jean wasn't the only one tense, everyone was. The air dripped with it, weighing down the muscles of those who were involved in the transfer.

A light chuckle brought her attention from the nervous teen to their other companion in the vehicle, one of the Military Police's prized soldiers. Luckily, he had no idea what Eren really looked like, and was easily fooled by Jean's disguise. Not a surprise in her mind, the Military Police were far from being bright.

"A little tense, are we?" He tormented, crossing his leg over the other, a hand resting atop the bent knee.

Fieonexx lightly glared, a gentle scoff escaping her lips, "We have no need to conversate with you. Our mission is to turn Eren over." She crossed her arms, peering back out the window to a few of the Military Police that walked beside the carriage, and some that traversed among the rooftops in watch. Her body grew tense again, not fond of the amount of lap dogs present. "I would prefer it done in silence." She finished, clenching her jaw in an attempt to calm her nerves that stirred under the disturbance.

He snickered, hurt from her brashness, but refusing to back down to a low life from the Survey Corps. 

"Fieonexx, is it?," Her head turned toward him, a glare burrowing into his own stare from the fact he had just ignored her wishes. He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly, "I as much.", The awkward encounter had made the thick air that much more so, his voice breaking the small moment of silence once more with a coy, "It's been awhile."

"You are?" She snarled, arms still crossed tightly across her chest, "All of you lap dogs are the same to me." Her gaze turned back to the window of the carriage, observing the buildings that passed.

Despite her remark mere seconds ago, there was something gnawing at her mind...he did seem familiar. The way his eyes bore into hers as if trying to pry into her soul and dominate it as if she were inferior to him. Though...that's the way all Military Police felt about the other regiments, especially the Survey Corps. A small sigh left her lips, her right hand returning to rest under her chin, her body pressing further into the door of the carriage in an attempt to put as much space between the two of them as possible; yet, the small amount of space already present made it difficult.

The annoyance intruded once more, his voice remaining mocking and berating as ever, "Bored?" He leaned a little closer to her, ignoring 'Eren's' presence across from him, "I didn't know you guys were so suicidal that you can't even delight in having a day inside the innermost wall, away from your...obsession." He shook his head, picking at her white blonde hair to vex her more than he had already managed, "You even attempt to befriend one!" He scoffs, an amused smirk rising as she slapped his hand away from his hand that chose to test her personal boundaries.

"Better than being cooped up like a pansy ass who kiss the ass of pungent 'royals'." She spat, her eyes turning to glare at him, her body no longer resting against the carriage but tense as it shifted toward him in a warning manner, daring him to test the waters again. "The only things you guys are competent at are trying to compete with one another on who is the best piece of shit. You'll all die eventually in this boring hell hole."

Her glare hardened, 'Eren' tensing up more than he was at the hostile air that now consumed the small area of the vehicle. His unease left him unable to step in, and he figured it best he didn't, as decoy Eren and real Eren had much different voices, which may be noticed as Eren is greatly known in the Military Police from his court hearing from his titan incident.

"I can't expect you to fathom the greatness we uphold inside these walls," He retorted, his own posture challenging hers, "After all, you grew up in an ungrateful family that dared to annihilate this very peaceful demeanor it has. Pity you guys couldn't be content with the comfort and riches you had."

Her stare faltered for a second, before returning even harsher than before, if even possible, as she leaned off of her seat, ready to lunge if he didn't choose his next words carefully, "Who the hell do you think you are?! You don't know me, nor do you know my parents! You don't know the things I endured, or what my family had to go through due to people scheming bullshit lies against them!"

He merely shrugged, chuckling at her hostility as if it were all a game to him, resulting in her heart to forcibly push her blood against her eardrums harder. The way his hazel eyes peered at her viciously, like a predator that had its prey cornered just the way it wanted it. His head cocked to the side, the tufts of black hair that were pushed to the right side bouncing lightly from the movement. The more she observed him the more her mind wracked itself; he was very familiar, so familiar that it only added to her hostility, but she couldn't think quite of who he was.

The fact that she was coming to terms with who he was didn't go unnoticed, "You mean you're still struggling to remember me? I'm hurt." He faked, placing a slender hand over his heart in mockery. His hands looked soft and clean, unlike those of the Survey Corps who constantly faced hardships in training and in the battlefield. "And after all of those...lovely...picnic dates I took you on." His falsely wounded remark drawled, placing emphasis on the 'lovely' part.

"Gale." She seethed, her breaths short and hard as her hands balled into fists. Upon this realization, her body froze, unsure of what action to take at the shocking discovery. Instead of doing anything she just stood there, hurt and angry. It was in her best interest for the sake of the mission and for the reputation of the Survey Corps to do nothing, but it was in her best interest for her own comfort to knock him six feet under like he deserved, including so much more.

'Eren' watched in confusion. What was this guy talking about? This was the first time he has ever seen Fieonexx express so much emotion, he was unsure as to whether or not she would explode from it. Wanting to speak, but deciding it was best not to, he gently clasped her clenched fist, eyeing her in hopes of grabbing her attention to try and soothe her but only becoming stressed himself when she refused to rip her gaze from the Military Police member who they now knew went by Gale. 

What had felt like forever was only mere minutes of silence between them, the only sounds being the horses and the carriages as they walked along the stone walkway to their destination.

"Is there a problem?" A voice questioned, opening the door to the carriage, the Military Police soldier eyeing Fieonexx suspiciously.

Her haze faded slightly, realizing the carriages had slowed upon the ruckus being heard, "No." She lied, walking over to the door, her face flushed red from the anger and the air tense around her, "I can't breathe. I need fresh air.", Was her added reply, the soldier nodding and stepping aside to let her out. Upon spotting her leave from the carriage ahead of him, Erwin decided it best that he trade places with Fieonexx, taking note in her stiff posture and the matter of her mental state; something that was not needed at this important moment.

Fieonexx sighed, stepping into the carriage that held only Levi now that Erwin had traded her places. She had intended to walk alongside the carriage but the commander had thought otherwise, in case she would possibly fall behind. 

Her gaze shifted out of the window again, her body turned from Levi in an attempt to provide some form of privacy between the two. The thoughts she desperately tried to push back had invaded her mind causing her to mentally scold herself for being so weak at a time like this. Fingers that were once curled into a fist to support her head as she had rested against the window now clasped cautiously over her mouth, her free hand wiping away any liquid that tried to threaten to make its presence known. Breathing became hard as she fought back the building tension in her gut that slowly rose to her throat as a means to escape. No matter how hard she fought to push it back down, it pushed back ten times harder, her shoulders shaking from the force as a sharp breath drew in through her nose, muddled by the pooling mucus in it. Tears fell faster than she could wisp them away, the salty liquid trailing down her cheeks in defiance to her wishes. Her body turned closer to the door to the point she was almost curled up into a ball to act as a blanket to the outside world as muffled sobs ripped from her throat.

Levi watched in silent concern, clenching his jaw as he had wondered what had happened to make her leave the previous vehicle and enter this one to immediately fall apart. He knew Fieonexx would always run and hide when she had cried, but the situation at hand had made it impossible, further hurting her at the mass amount of discomfort she was experiencing.

"Jaeger?" He pondered aloud, wondering if she would voice her troubles to him. While the cadets may push her buttons at times, he was sure this wasn't the case.

Fieonexx drew in a deep breath, slow enough to keep it from cracking in her clogged nostrils, "No..." was her distressed reply, her sleeve meeting her face to wipe away any remaining liquid as she forced back her emotions and worked on restoring her calm demeanor.

"Hn." Was the only retort she got from him, but compared to his usual annoyed sound this was more gentle and held concern. He didn't push further for her to speak to him, knowing she would if she was comfortable with it.

Minutes of silence had passed as she cleared her head, her normal presence nearly back to what it is. Her gaze looked to the seat in front of her, flickering to Levi every so often as she observed him sitting with his leg crossed over the other, arms stretched out on the back of the seat he sat while he peered out the window. Unclenching her hands, she gently sat them on her lap, her posture straightening to that of a dignant one once more.

"When I was younger," She started, cautiously wondering if she should even bother with carrying on. A small silence grew between them as she decided to make her statement from a different perspective, "I grew up in Sina." She paused again, taking note that Levi had turned his attention to her. A brow arched in what she took as small surprise and wonder. Back when Farlan and Isabelle were alive, the group would sometimes explain bits and pieces of how it was when they were growing up, but Fieonexx had never once mentioned she used to live in such a luxurious city, and he wondered why she would choose to even leave this place, even if it were full of sly people.

As if taking the hint from his gaze, she turned to look out the window, her voice finding itself much easier without so much pressure from his stare, "Growing up in Sina isn't as nice as it looks or sounds," Was all she gave him, leaving his thoughts to still wonder what her life was like before the Underground, "The children are just as bad as the adults. I never had 'friends', only people who took pleasure in using me for their own entertainment. The Military Police member in the carriage with me and 'Eren' felt he should remind me of the...'pleasures'...I had when forced to play with him.", She looked at him, nodding her head, "That's all." Was the final answer he received, her gaze remaining on his as a way to convince him that there was nothing to it despite having been so bothered by it moments ago.

Her face flushed slightly, the stare making her uncomfortable and causing her to look away. Of course, he wouldn't take her brush off of an answer, and she knew that. She still thought it worth a try, though.

"I see." He acknowledged, his gaze never turning from her as he continued to play the words back in his mind. Just what oh so wonderful things had this guy done to her? His jaw slightly tensed once more, his mind wandering to his mother's occupation she had and wondered if those were the sorts of things he had tried with Fieonexx. Albeit they were young that didn't surprise him any, for as she had told him, the children were just as bad as the adults. The only difference was that the children were...curious, and he wouldn't doubt someone that sounded so corrupt as this guy to have tried those sorts of things with her.

 

_The door to the quite house burst open, the wood splintering from the force followed by a group of men and women pouring into the small home._

_Fieonexx's mother bent down, giving her a smile and patting her head as if this was something normal or expected, "Fieonexx, go upstairs and clean your room sweetie." A light kiss to her forehead and a gentle nudge pushed Fieonexx to run upstairs, pausing before she reached the top to eye the commotion downstairs. Her mother knowing her curious child would do this, pointed a finger and scoldingly mouthed for her to go, not letting her gaze fall from the staircase until she knew her daughter had obeyed her commands._

_Rika's husband stood from the chair he was sitting in, standing in front of his wife and extending a hand, shaking the soldier's hand despite not wanting to, out of respect and in an attempt to keep the tension from turning hostile. This was Fieonexx's playdate's father, Laryn. "What brings you wonderful men and women to our small home this evening?" He prodded, motioning for his wife to fetch them something to drink, a small smile and thinning of his eyes as a plea to ask her to try to not spit in them._

_"No need." Laryn dismissed, waving his hand in a manner to state that her efforts would be wasted, "We are not her for formalities."_

_Rika stopped in her spot, a small smile forcing itself onto her face, "How may we be of service to you, then?" She questioned, a small polite nod as an apology for getting to the point._

_Laryn, not in any mood for things to be civil, bluntly stated his demands, "Rika and Garren Rysher, the king has sent us here with two options today concerning your treason against the kingdom.", He pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket, showing them the formal seal to show it was the real deal, "The city has been bustling as of late about your acts against the King, as I'm sure you know. There is a way to drop these charges against you if you wish to comply."_

_Biting her tongue, Rika continued the conversation with a civil manner, "Drop the charges? What are the conditions?"_

_Laryn, a bit miffed at having been interrupted, slightly glares at her before returning the paper to his pocket before continuing the demands, "Fieonexx Rysher, your daughter, is hereby required to wed my son Gale and work in the King's estate to make up for items you have stolen from him. However, you may never have contact with her again, and should these requirements be met the public is not allowed to confront you of these issues at hand without repercussion." He lingered for a second, noticing how they tensed at such terms before offering the second deal, "If you so choose to not agree to these terms, the only other option is for you to face execution. Your daughter will still face the consequences of your family's actions by working for the King; however, a pretty little thing such as her not being married means anything goes. The King's guests would be more than enthused to have a fresh young face amongst them," He stepped forward, gaining a presence of authority over them as he peered at them, "And I assure you, her cries and pleas for mercy will only fuel them further. It will not be pleasant."_

_Fieonexx, who had returned to the staircase to eavesdrop, had run to her room to lie on the bed, clutching her pillow close to her face as she fought back tears. It was really happening...she was going to have to marry Gale and...worse. Both circumstances were grim in equal ways. Both ways she would lose her parents, and both ways she would have to succumb to greedy men who were after her looks and her abilities as a woman. At least with the first option, she would be with someone familiar despite having absolute disgust towards him, and her parents would get to live. This was a lot for an eleven-year-old to come to terms with, but she knew which she would prefer, and as a result, she wiped away any tears that had slipped down her face. Her small feet carried her softly down the steps, her gaze on Laryn as she paused at the end of the staircase._

_She looked to her parents, both of them at unease due to the circumstances, but even more so at their daughter having heard such horrors. Her eyes shone apologetically, her mouth never uttering them a word as she turned back to Laryn, "I'll marry your son." She agreed confidently, "If you promise my parents will be safe and healthy, I will do anything he asks of me.", Her gaze fell to the floor an inaudible whisper escaping her lips, "Anything."_

_Laryn extended an arm, motioning for her to take it to which she reluctantly did, "You have raised a smart and compliant woman, Ryshers. I suspect she will be a great wife for my son and mother for my future grandchildren." He beamed down at her, happy that his son was getting what he had wanted, but a little disgusted at who it was he chose. Of all the gorgeous and fruitful women in this city, it just so happened to be the black sheep of the city. This may dampen his reputation until the accusations on the Rysher family dies down._

_Fieonexx glanced back one last time, a hurt smile forcing itself on her face as a final goodbye to her parents. The tears threatened to spill again, but she choked them back, refusing to let this scum see her so vulnerable._

_"Like hell, you will!" Came the rabid cry of her mother, her footsteps stamping onto the pavement as she zipped by Fieonexx, a loud clang echoing on the streets as a cooking pan had harshly landed on Laryn's head, vibrant blood beginning to drizzle through his hair._

_Laryn grazed his fingers through his hair, eyes widening as they were stained with blood... **his** blood, "You BITCH!", He bellowed, the gun he held in one hand now aimed at his attacker, "You have just decided yours and your daughter's fate. I will not let a rabid  **dog** marry my son! Your execution was to be public, but this crowd will have to do. The king will understand." He cocked it back, the sound of the gun firing echoing louder than the footsteps of Garren, Fieonexx's father, as he failed in his attempt to reach his wife. He cocked it back once more, this time aiming at Garren, "Have fun knowing that the last things you come to term with will be the fact that your daughter will be whored around like the slut she is!"_

_"Stop!" Fieonexx pleaded, pushing to reach her father before the trigger squeezed under his finger, but it was too late. She fell beside them, grasping each of their hands. "Mom! Dad! Get up! Let's go!" She continued to plead, though sobbing heavily this time._

_Her mother, with half-lidded eyes, squeezed her hand gently as the blood pooled on her chest and gurgled in her throat, beginning to suffocate her. "Run, Fieonexx."  She wanted to scream but barely got it out in a whisper._

_"I don't want to!" She sobbed, leaning against her mother's chest, the blood smearing on her face, her eyes averting to her father who now stood, frying pan grasped in his hand._

_"Obey your mother, Fieonexx! Quit being so stubborn child!" His words were harsh and his glare matched those of Laryn's. The frying pan flew out of his hand, smacking Laryn on the head again which forced the soldier to drop his gun, allowing Garren to retrieve it. He peered back, noticing Fieonexx had not budged. "Go, you damn brat!" He cocked the gun, aiming at other soldiers who now had their guns up and aimed at the family. The trigger squeezed under his finger, the gun crying as a bullet shot out and hit his mark between the eyes, dropping them to the floor in which they would not get up from._

_Fieonexx quivered, her eyes showing how hurt she was to have heard such harsh things from her father. He never spoke like that to her before. A bullet ripped into his arm, as he was outnumbered by two other Military Police soldiers who were with Laryn and the now deceased soldier on the floor. Luckily the other soldier had missed, allowing him to ready the gun again, another shot taking out another soldier before they were able to reload._

_The small white blonde peered at her mother, whose lips had turned blue, and her eyes had gone dull. Her skin was growing colder as time went and she became stiffer. Pushing herself from the cold pavement she tore down the street, unknowingly pushing herself to the underground entrance, where she would come to live for years._

_Laryn had regained himself, and the last standing soldier beside him had aimed their gun at him. In defeat, Garren had dropped the gun, his hands falling to his side as he refused to raise them in surrender. Not like he would receive any mercy at this point anyway. Standing next to his deceased wife, he watched as Laryn picked the gun up, cocking it back faster than he ever had before and squeezing the trigger without hesitation. Blood had splattered the pavement and now began to pour from the gaping wound in Garren's head, his body falling lifeless next to his wife's. At least Fieonexx had gotten away, he had hoped before he met his end._

_Surrounding citizens had stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle, some of them shielding their children from the scene only to have the children curiously peek anyways._

_"Let this be a warning to all of you.", Laryn warned, "Commit treason upon the kingdom and trying to retaliate against the Military Police will not end in your favor." He glanced back to the two deceased soldiers that lie cold on the floor, muttering under his breath, "Pathetic. Being done in by an old woman and man who started with nothing but a frying pan." He spat on the ground, walking away from the corpses and motioning for the other to follow, who did so reluctantly as they silently grieved the loss of their comrades. Laryn would send for the bodies to be retrieved; he had no time for such trivial things, and he needed to get his head bandaged._

Fieonexx jumped lightly, not noticing that thoughts had consumed her and drowned out her surroundings. That was dangerous at this moment, but thankfully all was quiet. It wouldn't be much longer until they met their destination. Had everything gone according to plan with the female titan?

The ground shook, the carriages pulling to a stop as a bright flash had appeared through the air and vanished just as quickly. The military police alongside the carriages had stood in shock, their attention now turning to the Survey Corps members, especially the commander and Eren who had turned out to be Jean all along. 

"I suggest you tell your soldiers to act as though a titan is inside the walls." Was the nonchalant remark Nile had received.

"What are you talking about!?" He spat, fear wracking his body as he immediately turned to face Erwin rather than towards the commotion, "This is wall  **Sina**! It's impossible for a titan to be here!" Erwin turned his head to stare at Nile, his silence an answer on its own, "Erwin, just what the hell are you up to!?"

"I see she didn't take the bait." Fieonexx spoke, standing next to Levi, watching the dust clouds that formed from the destruction of the female titan. She stood silently, waiting for Erwin to command her to her next task now that she was equipped with the appropriate maneuvering gear they avoided wearing to keep from suspicion.

Gale stormed over to the duo, having heard Fieonexx's remark, and aimed the gun at her, "YOU! It's no wonder the Survey Corps is doing this! I knew you guys were low but I didn't think they were low enough to listen to a traitor like you to attempt to commit treason on the king,  **Fieonexx**!"

Levi harshly stared at the man, taking note of the frantic gleam in his eyes, and the way his black side-swept hair was in a disheveled state. Fieonexx glared at him, his finger edging to the trigger. This scene was all too familiar, but the gun was pointed at her this time, instead of her parents.

"My father," He spat, his voice gruff with anger, "told me that when he had gone to retrieve you your family had retaliated and killed good men and women!" The gunmetal prodded into her chest, aimed at her heart, his trigger now on the finger. This way he knew he wouldn't miss. "They should have killed you along with them! I begged my father to find you, to prove that you would be a good wife and mother but he refused, stating that a  **dog** could never be a good wife. I'm hurt to admit he may have been right!" 

Levi grasped the barrel, carefully pushing it away from her as brash actions may have resulted in his finger pressing into the trigger from the force of a pushback, "I suggest you don't threaten my comrades." 

Nile's unit had aimed their guns at Levi, shouting at him to cease his aggression before they shoot the both of them.

"Enough.", Erwin interrupted, "We should not be fighting amongst ourselves when there is a titan loose in the city."

Gale glared, pointing a finger accusingly at Fieonexx, "It's her fault! This bitch hasn't gotten over the fact that her parents had been executed for committing treason against the King and has attempted revenge!", He glared at the rest of the Survey Corps members standing around, "And you all foolishly fell into her trap! Everyone is right about you lot, you truly are stupid! Suicidal! Incompetent!" His anger had built to a tipping point, his glare now fixated on Fieonexx once more, his hand flying towards her face and knocking her back a few feet.

She held her cheek, shocked at the contact between his hand and her cheek, and bit the urge to lunge at him then and there. The Military Police may have dysfunctional members, but the Survey Corps would be held to higher regards. Her delicate hand gently grasped at Levi's wrist upon noticing the short male attempting to take a step forward. She licked the inside of her cheek, the familiar taste of wet copper in her mouth caused by soft tissue crashing into hard teeth.

A small shake of her head further told him 'no', her hand dropping after she finished coddling the stinging area to reveal a deep bruise had already formed. Hesitantly, Levi complied, Fieonexx lingering her touch slightly before turning to Erwin.

Giving the proper salute, she ignored Gale, and pressed the issue at hand, "What are your orders, sir?"

Erwin nodded commanding her to assist Hanji should they need the extra help detaining the female titan.

Fieonexx hooked herself onto a building, giving Gale one last glare before zipping off to Hanji's location. Around her, buildings had fallen in the wake of the female titan's erratic escape, and corpses had already started piling up. In a way, it felt good for her form them to know the pain of loss as she had, but it also pained her that innocent people that had nothing to do with this plan had still fallen victim to its path.

Her hand trecked across her lip, a warm liquid spilling out of it, uninvited. A small scowl had momentarily appeared upon realizing it was blood from Gale's actions earlier; he was going to pay for it.

"Oh, Fieonexx, you're here to assist us!?" Hanji beamed in delight, "What happened?!" She prodded seconds after upon noticing the bruising on her cheek.

"It's nothing.", She brushed off, "Any sign of Eren?"

"No, but the female titan is nearing!" Ame, one of the cadets under her watch, had butt in. She didn't voice it, but Fieonexx could tell Ame was worried.

Where in the hell **was** Eren?

 

Fieonexx placed a hand on Ame's shoulder, giving her a small reassuring smile as the female titan approached. Hanji had turned to the others, ordering them to ready themselves for the defensive attack in an attempt to catch her with the spiked netting. Ame had nodded at Hanji's orders, running to her spot they had discussed before the day had arrived.  Fieonexx stood still, having been told by the bespectacled brunette to wait and assist for when the attack lands.

Stomping and the crumbling of buildings had echoed throughout the small city as she neared. This was the first time Fieonexx would see the infamous female titan, as during the expedition she had been rendered useless from the injury she had received due to the aberrant titan. The trembles grew louder, the vibrations causing it to be slightly difficult to gain proper footing. A gust of air blew through the road as she had appeared, and just as quickly a loud sound from the contraption ripped through the sky, mixing itself amongst the other noises of war. The female titan shrieked in distress, steam rising as the skin regenerated around the thick spikes that stuck to the netting along with the multiple strings of wire that dug into her flesh. 

Fieonexx had joined the group on the ground getting a good look at the female titan and observing as Hanji had zeroed in on her, blade pointing at the large blue eyes it had. Hanji had her usual excitement about getting to study the titans, but her tone also held something else, a longing for revenge on all the loss she had caused. It was rare to see her bespectacled friend in this manner, as she was usually 'forgiving' to titans for their behaviors, but perhaps since this was a conscious person just as Eren was, things may be different.

A small gasp escaped everyone's lips as they all jumped to avoid the swinging of the female titan's leg, nearly getting squished amongst rubble as she destroyed more buildings along with the contraptions that bound her. Free once more, the female titan had made a run for it.

"Ame!" Fieonexx beckoned. With a nod of her head, the blonde cadet understood what her superior was getting at, zipping after Armin and Jean in an attempt to stall the female titan while they waited on Eren to join the disaster. "Is everything good here?" She asked Hanji, following her cadets at the nod of Hanji's head.

The white blonde watched intently, eyes widening upon watching the female titan avoid all of their blows by crystalizing parts of her body. She squinted her eyes; never before had she seen such a thing, this titan truly was formidable. It came to no surprise to her now that her friend Petra, along with their teammates and so many others, had fallen to this foe.

Another flash had emitted from the sky, the area shaking under the violent sound that accompanied it. Glancing back, she had noticed Eren, a face she was glad to see. This was a losing battle from the start, but with him now present, maybe they had a chance to win. 

Maybe this plan would work.

Fieonexx perched herself atop a building, watching the male titan fly passed her in a blind rage. It was out of their hands now; attempting to fight in between those two was a death sentence, but some of the Survey Corps remained close if needed.

Her head whipped to the side, her legs pushing her barely out of the way as a familiar face landed atop the same building as her. "Leave! Or I won't hesitate to remove you myself." She hissed with venom.

Gale aimed his gun at her once more, the weapon already readied for firing, "I plan to do the same." 

Fieonexx jumped from the building, hooks sinking into the next one as she flung from one to the next in an attempt to escape from him. Sitting there trying to face him head-on would only result in her getting shot, as he was far ranged combat while she was close ranged. If luck was on her side, maybe he would accidentally forget to put the safety back on and shoot himself in his attempt to catch her. While it may not have gone as planned, she couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he crashed into a building, blinded by his hatred, which resulted in his weapon of choice to break and fall to the ground.

She turned her gaze to the commotion with the female titan, where her body was no longer there but instead a crystallized cocoon of sorts was lying on the ground, and Levi was pulling Eren from the nape of his titan's neck. Good, this escapade was over; however, there was an issue at hand, though this was personal and didn't require the Survey Corps.

"Even without my gun, I will be sure to wipe this city with your blood and watch as your corpse festers and is eaten by vultures! A sacrifice, if you will, to keep these walls in good standing and to offer you as a way of ridding your family's pitiful existence as if it was never here!"

Fieonexx stared at Gale, her expression blank compared to the anger and hurt she had shown earlier. "You don't intimidate me anymore, Gale." She simply confessed, "You have nothing left to take from me. I'm stronger now. I'm no longer that feeble girl you forced to partake in your disgusting and perverse acts; and, the way I see it, I am more skilled with these than you are." The blades slid into the handles with ease, the metal gleaming under the sunlight as the now calm wind had lightly whipped her hair around her face. She stood unphased, the light radiating around her elegant yet toned figure as if she were a goddess, or if fate was shining on her right now.

Gale drew his own blades, a menacing gleam coming from them as well, "Nor do you intimidate me. You are nothing. You are beneath me, just as you always have been! If you truly feel so cocky then let's settle this in hand to hand combat, where both sides are fair!"

Fieonexx looked at him confused, her head cocked to the side slightly in a mocking manner, "You want your ass kicking to be painfully slower?"

The hazel-eyed male dropped his gear, stepping away from it and motioned for her, " Perhaps I shouldn't kill you.", He retorted, "I think the King could find much better uses for a traitor like you. Your snide remarks will be replaced with cries and pleas for mercy. None of which will be answered. Torture? Maybe. Locking you up and depriving you then taunting you? Maybe. Or maybe you could be a pet? The King is always in demand for pets."

"Funny.", She started, dropping her gear, "Your father practically said the same thing to me years ago, yet...here I am." She stepped forward, her hands on her side in a relaxed manner.

"You got lucky.", He spat. "If it weren't for you getting mixed up in that little scuffle with those three shit heads in the Underground you wouldn't be here."

Fieonexx wiped her hair from her eyes, waiting for him to stop talking and actually put himself to action, "Lucky? Maybe." She mocked the way he made his remarks from earlier, "Or maybe what you have in mind for me just wasn't meant to be."

Gale scowled, now running at the white blonde female. A fist extended toward her, her hand brought up to block it, his arm sliding along the back of her hand as she used his own force against him. She kicked a leg backward before he ran too far behind her, catching him in the gut which caused him to tumble to the side and nearly fall from the building. Not budging from her spot, she waited for him. It wasn't in her intentions to kill him but to deal a blow to his pride. To live with the fact that he couldn't do with her as he intended would surely make him suffer more than anything. He charged at her once more, going in for an uppercut to which she gracefully stepped back from, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed his face into her knee. She backed up, waiting for him to get up once more. Blood dripped from his nose, staining his uniform jacket. He had no intentions of giving up yet, which she thought was rather valorous of him, but they had barely even started. Gale searched for an opening, but the fact that she stood completely relaxed made it hard for him to find one. He ran at her again, aiming to deck her in the face but changing his course of action to kicking her legs out from under her which landed her harshly on her back against the tiles of the roof. He aimed to stomp her ribs but missed as she rolled out of the way resulting in the tiles breaking more. Picking up a shard, he lunged at her as she was gaining her posture, the sharp tile grazing her shoulder as she barely dodged it. Not expecting to miss the landing by that much, his momentum carried him further than he had planned, and she kicked a harsh blow to his gut once more, causing him to skid backward and drop the shard.

"Had enough yet?" She poked, ignoring the stinging in her arm and her somewhat sore back.

Gale panted, now leaning forward on to his hands, his knees pressing into the rooftop. He stared at the ground, blood still dripping from his nose and struggling to gather the wind that had been knocked out of him. Glancing to the side of him, he smirked, "Not even close." He hastily grasped the maneuvering gear he had discarded, aiming the handle at her. 

Fieonexx gasped, her muscles pushing her to run but there was no way she could outrun the speed at which the gas forced the hooks from their holsters. The trigger squeezed against the handle, the hook spewing out faster than she could see. She covered her face, not that it would help much, but in instinct to shield herself. A loud clang echoed amongst the rooftop, but nothing came to her, that or the pain was so intense and her adrenaline was so high she didn't notice it. Lowering her hands from her face, she noticed Levi and had seen the commotion and he managed to ricochet the hook away from her. Faster than she or Gale could comprehend the short black haired male is stalking towards the man on the ground, kicking him back onto the rooftop and slamming the blades into his jacket high enough he can't get out of it then discarded the blade as a means to pin him there. He would have to work up the strength to lift himself enough that the blades cut through the fabric, or risk cutting his hands to remove the blades.

"Fieonexx, let's go." He nonchalantly demanded.

She nodded, connecting her gear back to its proper place. "Thank you. That would have hit me for sure." She complimented, not glancing back at him as they returned to the rest of the group.

"Tch. He's lucky I don't kill him. He has assaulted you multiple times, I think they would rule out in your favor for self defense."

Fieonexx peered ahead, glancing at him momentarily to notice he had watched her intently. "Maybe.", She closed her eyes for a moment, "But maybe not. The kingdom does think that my family committed treason, after all."

Levi continued to stare at her, "It might not be all that bad, considering it's only those in the inner wall that think that.", The duo landed on the wall, where Hanji had supposedly just gotten finished with her interrogation. "Surely it would have reached other ears in the walls if it were serious."

Fieonexx nodded her head, giving him a slight smile before running up to Hanji, where she soon learned a shocking discovery.

 

The walls were made of titans.


	9. Blackmail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This point onward the story is going to stray from the manga's events.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Auricomous- Having light colored hair.

One thing had always lead to another it seemed. 

The situation with the busted wall, revealing its horrid secrets, had been momentarily settled by draping a blanket of patches of fabric over the awakening titan's exposed face. Despite this discovery, it had not prevented the Survey Corps and a few of its members from being taken into questioning. The outcome had barely been in favor of the scouting regiment, the casualties of their plan being far heavier than that of their wins. Many innocent lives had been taken or injured, their homes crushed into dust. For what outcome? Few. Eren had been allowed to stay with the Survey Corps, and Annie had been taken into custody; though, no good came of the latter, as she had encased herself in an unbreakable crystal cocoon in a deep slumber. This outcome was no different than their expeditions; multiple losses with no progression.

The Survey Corps had already struggled with support from the citizens, and this stunt was sure to drive the nail further into that coffin.

A brief trial during the investigation had taken place between Gale and Fieonexx. The hatred the Military Police had for the Survey Corps members had quickly reached ears of those that were higher ranking, their allegations being that Fieonexx had attacked Gale in cold blood and that she had left him to smolder under the heat of the sun by pinning him to the rooftop. With the trouble they were already in, they were unsure as to whether they could believe the words from those who defended her. The decision had barely deemed her innocent, yet Gale had faced no repercussions either. Perks like that came with serving the King, the corruption only spreading more and more as time carried on.

While the Survey Corps had been cleared of facing treason, the discussion as to how they were to repay those in Sina for the damage and loss was still to come which meant more time spent in Sina, the Military Police sure to watch them closely.

 

 

Levi had eyed their temporary housing. To a normal person it was near pristine, but to him, it was due for some heavy cleaning.

"I wouldn't worry much about it.", Fieonexx chided him as she removed the maneuvering gear and its straps, neatly placing the garments in a corner, "I don't think we should be here too awfully long. Maybe a few days." Her eyes roamed the room they currently resided in. It was a small living room, having to hold the dining table inside it as the kitchen attached to it was much smaller. How anyone could cook in there, she would never know; the stove had barely enough room to sit in there as is.

Not much caring for how dim it was, she slid the heavy curtains to the side, a small smile appearing on her face as a disapproving grunt that had come from Levi met her ears. The way the dust flittered in the sun now beaming through the window had made it clear this place had been vacant for some time. Under the small dining table was a plush carpet, no longer white as there had been stains from its previous owners and the same dust the curtains held. 

"Disgusting." Levi remarked as he watched the additional dust fly into the air, her hand disturbing it as she grazed it along the soft fabric.

Fieonexx eyed the fabric, continuing to glide her hand along it as she spaced out in comfort, "So soft." She mumbled.

Footsteps echoing from the staircase had brought her attention from her distraction, and towards the trio that had always clung to Eren. They had been eager to explore this small place of solitude, happy to get a break from all of the chaos that surrounded them.

Armin was the first to speak up, as Mikasa had remained her usual silent self, and Ame was busy with worrying about the sleeping boy upstairs, "Is there any fresh water we could take Eren? Nothing works in this house..is there...somewhere we can get some?" His voice was soft, and he had addressed Fieonexx as she was his squad leader. 

"Good question.", She had peered out the window, trying to observe the buildings around them, "You guys go back to watch Eren, we'll go look for some refreshments."

"Amongst other things." Levi had added, covering his mouth as they walked through the floating dust.

The pair walked in silence, Levi letting Fieonexx lead the way. She walked to an open door, strong scents nearly causing her to gag. Perhaps a bar wasn't the best choice to pick, but it was close and the first thing they had come across. While it was much cleaner, it had a familiar air about it like those in the Underground. 

"Typical." Fieonexx scowled, her line of sight changing from the group of Military Police partying at a table across the room to the bartender in front of her. He was far less dirty than Melvin, and his posture was strong-almost inviting compared to the intimidating one of Melvin's.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" He greeted, a small bow following. Another difference compared to the dingy Underground.

"Fieonexx.", She nodded, her eyes momentarily trailing to a figure that seated itself next to her, "I was just wondering if you guys sold water and perhaps something to eat here."

He chuckled, extending an arm as he remarked that everything they ever wanted could be here, her eyes following where his fingers had pointed. Food, drinks, games, and the typical floozy. Thanking him for the small...tour, she proceeded to question him about the items she came here for, slightly irritated he didn't give her a straight answer. Though she slightly forgave him, as it was just him trying to bring in customers and attempt to appeal to their eye.

"Hey there, sweetie!" Sweaty skin squeezed between Fieonexx and Levi, the woman's voice dripping with honey as she eyed Levi with carnal desire, "Care to get acquainted?"

"Tch." He had turned from her, the scantily clad woman visually upset, a hand with vibrant colored nails caressing the neat raven locks atop his head, "Beat it." Levi's attempts were in vain, the ice cold demeanor he held not scaring off a woman who has been surrounded by much worse. This was her territory, and she was aggressive in her attempts to get what she wanted.

The figure beside Fieonexx had moved from their seat, another figure squeezing between her and Levi as they made their way to the floozy, "A mutt like him will never see what beauty you are." They placed a hand on her shoulder, the woman turning to face them with a glare.

"Beat it, runt. I'm not interested in you." Her voice dripped with venom, she wasn't going to be persuaded by words from another man who only spoke sweet nothings to get in her pants. The choice was hardly hers, but she was going to get what she wanted when she could.

Before things could escalate further, Fieonexx had pushed herself back beside Levi, removing the woman's hand from his hair and giving the man she noticed to be a member of the Military Police a glare. His face was flushed and he reeked-drunk as usual. "I would appreciate if you would keep your hands to yourself." Her tone was low, yet unthreatening in hopes of provoking the woman's temper further.

Her nail colored hand ripped from Fieonexx's grip, her mouth slightly open as she ground her teeth together, "Move it, hussy!" The rage in her grew as the intruder had not listened to her, a grip of steel enclosing on Fieonexx's wrist, "What are you? His  _girlfriend_ or something?", She scoffed, eyeing the bruise on her cheek, "Hideous. Let the man have a  _real_ woman!"

"Let. go. of me." Fieonexx hissed, her calm demeanor diminishing by the second, the bar becoming quiet from the commotion. She motioned for Levi, who was in a silent battle with the intruding Military Police, to leave before things got ugly.

"No!" She shrieked, claws digging into the captive wrist to prevent her from leaving.

The Military Police member had pipped in, inching closer to Levi to hold a threatening posture over him which earned no response from the shorter male, "Disrespectful dogs." He spat beside Levi, this time earning a small response from him as his eyes flickered to the disgusting body fluid beside him then back towards the person it came from.

Fieonexx grabbed his hand with her free one, pushing him in front of her towards the door in an attempt to shield him from the pungent woman that clung to her wrist behind her. He complied, his eyes boring into the Military Police member as a threat. Lucky, he was, to have committed such an act and come out unscathed. 

Upon exiting the bar, the floozy had released her death grip, scowling as she watched the two walk off. She would get what she wanted.

Her wrist throbbed, her hand coming up to soothe it in response. A soft sigh left her as she peered at the blood that had smeared there, "That failed miserably.", She looked towards her companion, watching as he fiddled with his now dirty hair in disgust, "Sorry.", A momentary silence fell between the two, disturbed as she continued, "No one should have to endure that. She didn't hurt you, did she? Or him?"

"No." He assured, stopping in front of the small house they would reside in. She hadn't realized he had led them back there. "We need to disinfect and dress that before we go elsewhere. Who knows what filth she had under those hideous nails of hers."

"I'm sure I've been exposed to worse." She argued, sighing in defeat as he eyed her, unmoving from his thoughts. "Fine."

 

An overjoyed squeal echoed in the near barren house, a familiar bespectacled brunette enclosing the duo in a vise like hug, "Where were you!? I went to ask the kids upstairs but they're all tuckered out from today's events! I was worried something happened!"

Levi struggled in her grasp, his face squished against the two bodies in front of him, "Let go shitty glasses." He monotonously threatened.

Fieonexx coughed, able to breathe now that the death grip no longer crushed her against Hanji's slightly taller frame, "We went to get food and water." She drew in a deep breath, calming her lungs but kicking up another coughing fit from the irritation.

"Oh, I already had that taken care of!" She beamed, extending an open hand towards the table.

The short raven haired male walked passed her, grabbing some disinfectant and bandaging.

"OH?" Hanji chirped, "What happened?" She examined them both, delicately holding Fieonexx's wrist and staring at it, "The Military Police didn't do this did they?"

"No..", Fieonexx gently responded, "We went to a bar as it was the closest in hopes of food and water, and this floozy tried to get in Levi's pants."

Another coughing fit flared up as Hanji clapped the girl on the back, her laughter echoing in the house. How the sleeping cadets upstairs hadn't awoken by now was a surprise. Hanji had taken over, examining and dressing the small wound while listening to the story of their journey. Her hands sat upon her hips, a grin on her face from her excellent work.

"Don't worry. It's going to be fine." She consoled.

Fieonexx thanked her, rolling it a few times out of habit, "How long do you think we'll be here for?"

"I'm not sure.", Hanji plopped onto the small two-seater couch, closing her eyes as she is finally getting her moment of rest, "A few days, maybe? Erwin is staying at a location of closer proximity to them until the day comes. They don't want him 'scheming' any other plans, and seeing as he's our commander we can't necessarily set up plans without his approval. Not like we had any plans anyways."

She stood silently, gazing out of the window, not paying attention to the brunette who sat silently on the couch, and Levi who had taken a seat in a chair after having dusted it off. The inner wall wasn't much different than the outer ones; the only difference being that the citizens here were slightly more prosperous and well dressed, but it still had its fair share of the poor. The Underground was here, after all. As was her home, the proximity of it making her heart heavy. She had to see it, one more time.

"Our horses are close by, yes?" Hanji opened an eye, a grunt of curiosity emitting from her as she watched Fieonexx continue to stare out the window.

"Yeah, what for?" She remained on the couch, both eyes open though from curiosity.

Fieonexx glanced from the window, turning slightly towards her brunette companion, "There's..." Her face hardened, "something I need to see."

 "Right now? I don't know if that's such a good idea with everything going on, and on top of that, the Military Police know to keep an eye on us if they see us out and about. What if they think you're up to something?" Hanji had leaned forward, the idea putting her at unease.

"Yeah...I guess you're right." She sighed, the light gleaming through the window faded from atop her head, removing the halo effect it had made as she sat next to Hanji. The room grew quiet, the dust settling back to its former resting place as hands no longer disturbed it. Fieonexx had assumed the others fell asleep upstairs as they watched over Eren with how quiet they had gotten, the soft murmurs amongst the trio ceasing to softly filter through the doorway to the bedroom. The auricomous woman sighed, stretching as she stood from her momentary place beside Hanji. "I'm going for a walk, I'll be nearby if you need me."

As was expected, the streets were busy; many merchants had escorted their products on wagons, citizens participating in light banter with them as they strode by. Children ran amuck without a care in the world playing games of tag while some were more civil and partook in a small picnic with the lunch their parents had given them. A small frown planted itself on Fieonexx's face as she turned her head from the all too familiar scenario, albeit the interaction amongst them was a lot more...friendly, and consensual. Or so it had seemed, but maybe that's how people looked at her and Gale's interaction, as friendly banter and a girl who was embarrassed by the advances of her 'crush'. 

A small breeze had pushed itself between the buildings, lightly blowing long strands of hair around people. Some people had taken to standing in the shade, the sun threatening to make the fair skinned beings turn bright red from a first degree burn; the heat it had emitted could be seen from the waving heat that danced amongst the stone walkway. Despite being surrounded by crooked people, this setting was a nice one to partake in for awhile compared to that of the heart pounding fear that coursed through everyone's veins as they sped from ever hungry titans, maneuvering to eliminate them should they be a potential threat.

Fieonexx had glanced at the merchants' small stores, the food selection being greater than the Survey Corps would ever get to see as long as the walls had stood, and for as long as they had failure after failure, gaining less and less support from the citizens who would scowl at the thought of having to feed 'suicidal dogs'. The particular store she had stood in front of now was something she thought she would never see again, desserts wrapped neatly to keep them fresh for a little while longer and to keep pests from partaking in the delight themselves. 

"Hey, there little lady, not from around here are ya?" The merchant had examined her, a hip on his hand as he lightly leaned on the table top. While her dress attire was nothing formal, as it was what she had worn underneath the regiment's jacket and straps, she knew he had been referring to the scar on her neck, the small one adorning her lip on the same right side, and the fresh bruise that screamed for people to look at it.

She pulled her gaze from the dessert in front of her, taken aback at how absent minded she was being, "Oh.", Her eyes studied the man in front of her, slightly stepping back in caution, "Technically I am, but that was many years ago."

He picked up one of the treats, holding it out to her, "I see. Where ya from? Not many women about these parts that seem so...mysterious.", His hand stretched towards her further, motioning for her to take the food he held in his hand, "Take it. It's a new recipe I'm trying out. On me."

Fieonexx shook her head, shying away further politely, "I can't." She had ignored his question on her origins, turning to walk away.

She had paused, hearing him speak again, his accent still throwing her off. The way he had pronounced things would make one think he was a farmer of sorts, yet he turned out to be a baker. "What? Are ya allergict?", The last word rolling off his tongue with a harsh T added to the end. Maybe he was just illiterate? "I can grab ya somethin' else." His hands skimmed the desserts before him before landing on a small bit of chocolate.

Fieonexx had refused harder this time, trying to throw his advances by backing further away to only have the wrapped up chocolate pressed into the palm of her hand, "I can't take this. This is expensive." She had asserted. Chocolate was very heavily priced, having been a rare delicacy.

"Naw, don't worry none. I think one can make an exception for such a wonderful sight for sore eyes." Before she could decline further he had left to attend his store, conversing with the new customers that had approached.

His voice had drowned out into the background, shock slithering up her spine as she stared at the small amount of chocolate before her. She stuffed it into her pocket, continuing her journey down the busy streets. It was rare for this type of kindness to be displayed, especially to someone who was an outsider, and to someone who had committed 'treason'.

She had neared the bar again, the place the incident not long ago had taken place. A small hum vibrated in her throat, her eyes shifting to elsewhere in front of her as she assured herself to avoid that place again. At least that's what she had hoped.

"And where does the dog think it's going without its leash?" A familiar voice had pulled Fieonexx's attention to them, her eyes glaring daggers at the figure that pushed itself from the wall and away from the figure it was conversing with who so happened to be the hussy from earlier.

"Gale." Fieonexx snarled, her arms crossing as the olive skinned male sauntered his way over to her.

A playful smirk met his face, a hand reaching up to caress the bruise he had left on her pale skin. The look he held was haunting, the joy radiating from them as he acted as though he was proud of the damage he had done, "My apologies, I didn't mean to hit you so... _hard._ " His fingers went to cup her cheek in a sensual manner, the action being declined as Fieonexx discreetly forced it away from her.

" _Don't touch me."_ She spat lowly, trying to keep from causing a commotion in their already heated situation with the citizens of Sina, and that of the Military Police versus the Suvery Corps.

It was now that she had taken the time to absorb his features, the way he had grown in their years apart. His ebony hair was brushed to his right side, slightly spiked around him in a manner that captivated his bright hazel eyes. He still looked the same, but his height now towered over her as he stood at six foot four, while she stood at five foot five, leaving her to be at shoulder height. His face had grown more slender, and less chubby with time, the one thing people would make fun of him for in the past. His hands, now muscular yet dainty had clasped onto her shoulders, his head leaning close to hers to whisper threateningly into her ear.

"We have the privilege of watching over you dogs should we so happen to see you. Make a scene, and who knows what will happen to your precious commander. Just what are you guys scheming, I wonder? Perhaps I should alert the higher ups right now of suspicious behavior. A dog on its own, resisting the plans of the Kingdom, and one that had already committed treason at that.", He raised his head to be eye level with her, studying the anger in her eyes and how it would lightly twitch from the suppression of her rage. "Come, join me and this lovely lady for a drink." He stood tall, speaking loudly as he motioned to the floozy he had been conversing with.

"No, I think I'll just stand here. You can watch from afar." She retorted, her arms crossing tighter over her chest and glanced away from his intimidating demeanor.

Gale sighed, grabbing a notepad and writing utensil from his pocket, "I should have known. I'll tell them you sent Erwin your regards as they sentence him to life in prison. Or worse, execution for treason?" 

"Tch, what makes you think they would just believe your word?" She seethed, not buying into his blackmail.

He shrugged, slightly motioning to the girl that stood against the wall as she waited for him, observing every little interaction between the two, "I have a witness.", His voice lowered, "And you know a filthy little whore trying to make ends meet will do  _anything_ I asked of her, especially against a dog like you."

Fieonexx ground her teeth, the bowing of her head and averting of her gaze letting him know he had beaten her into submission. His muscular hands clasped around her wrist, his tugging less than gentle as he pulled her into the bar with the floozy hot on his tail. The bar reeked more, if possible. Alcohol had been spilled everywhere from careless patrons as they laughed loudly and partook in reckless behavior; sweat had thrown itself into the mix along with a pail of rotting food. How well off they must be in order to dispose of so much food so carelessly.

The pale blonde female had pulled her limbs closer to her in a form of comfort to keep her distance as the two sandwiched her between them at the long table. It was all in vain as Gale had only pressed himself against her, and the floozy had leaned over the table to swoon over him.

Her shoulder had dug into Fieonexx, a form of passive aggression for earlier as she stared intently at Gale, "I didn't know this was going to be a ménage à trois.", A small smile graced her lips, but it was a false one, "Surely you could find someone better than this  _street rat._ She isn't even pretty.", A smug grin stretched across her face, her ravenous eyes pouring into Gale's, "With all of the scars and that bruise I think she'd be a better punching bag than anything. If she isn't already one." Her laugh rung in Fieonexx's ears, the girl glaring at her as she was pushed off of her.

The floozy spoke again, leaning in close enough for spit to hit Fieonexx's face, "You don't know who you're messing with, little girl."

Fieonexx shrugged, not intimidated by someone who most likely had no combat training, and let alone wasn't even a titan. "Sure."

"Mara, do be a doll and grab us all a drink?", Gale butt in, averting the slowly rising situation, "You truly are not helping your situation. There is no doubt she would be on my side should I file a report.", He placed a hand on her thigh, squeezing it lightly, "And don't worry. A few marks on your skin could never taint your beauty."

Her hand grasped his, stopping the digits from sliding up her leg further, "Don't you have  _Mara_ for your twisted pleasures? Leave me out of it." She spat, never turning to look at him.

He sat silent for a moment, looking her up and down and drinking in her grown features. Still, the only thing he truly ached for, and he had dirt on her to twist her into submission, especially as of the moment. "Mara is not you. I thought I had lost you years ago. You can't avoid me this time, Fieonexx. As ungrateful and at times how abhorrent you can be, I still think it would do us both good for you to wed me."

Mara had returned with the drinks, her protest failing to escape her lips to avoid further pissing the prostitute off and possibly damning Erwin further. Gale had thanked her, taking the cold beverage to his lips and ignoring the girl dying for his attention while he kept it on Fieonexx. Growing frustrated, she had pressed further for his attention which had, in turn, annoyed him to the point of dismissing her, but not before telling her to keep an eye on the two as he claimed he felt uncomfortable to be alone without someone watching him in the presence of Fieonexx. Visibly upset, Mara just nodded, not knowing she was just a pawn to help Gale control Fieonexx.

"Now," He had started, setting his drink down after a small sip, "Drink."

She sighed from her nose, picking up the glass and staring at it momentarily before swallowing it all swiftly, "Finished, are we done here now? I'm tired and would like to go sleep." 

Gale sighed, standing from his seat, "Cutting our lovely reunion so short? Oh well, you have a big day ahead of you, perhaps it's for the best.", Fieonexx had stood, walking to the door to notice him following her, "I'll escort you back, it's my job, after all." He had left temporarily to whisper into Mara's ear, her eyes flicking to Fieonexx in a glare before going back to him with a nod.

She scowled, the grin on his face making her want to vomit. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one at the small house which would prevent him from barging in and trying to further his advances on her. 

His pace was slower than hers, just enough so he could watch her from behind and observe her. This feeling made her uncomfortable, but there wasn't much protesting she could do without it backfiring on her. The walk felt like it was taking forever, and any time they had passed a dark alleyway her mind flashed to all of the what-ifs should there not be any citizens roaming about at this time. She internally sighed upon reaching the small house, even more grateful that she was not alone in the small building as it had been tucked back in a corner of one of the dark alleys. So close to civilization yet out of reach should something go down. No one would know if they couldn't hear anything.

A hand had zipped passed her, perching itself on the wall to prevent her from entering the small building.

"Why such an awful glare? I just safely escorted you back to your temporary living quarters." Gale smirked, pinning his other hand to the other side of her head to hold her in place, "You were a good girl, today." He had leaned in, his lips grazing her ear as he continued to whisper to her, "Your commander and friends shall remain safe for tonight under one condition." A hand moved from beside her head to lift her chin gently, the index finger resting under her jawline.

"No." She retorted, crossing her arms and turning her head to the now vacant space where his hand used to rest.

His fingers gripped her chin, a familiar setting between the two, "Are you sure? Are you willing to put your friends into harm's way by denying a measly kiss? Just like you did your parents?"

"You have no more witnesses here, you have no sway over me." She turned away from him again, moving to the free side to escape him to only be stopped by the hand taking its resting place beside her head once more.

"Wrong. I told Mara before leaving that I was afraid you would assault me now that we would have some privacy. What do you think would happen if I return looking battered? She would surely take my side, not like she would much oblige in the first place, but as a precaution, I planted that little seed of lies." He had gripped her face again his own mere inches from hers as he awaited the consequences of either decision she made.

"Maybe I should kill you now. That would solve that problem."

Gale lightly chuckled, placing his forehead on hers, "Brash as ever. You realize that a missing Military Police member of such high status would fall on your hands, especially with a  _witness_."

The door had swung open, Gale being pushed from the current wall to the one parallel to it by his throat, his rear end hitting the floor harshly. Levi had heard the thumps against the wall inside the house and had gone to investigate, stopping to listen to the conversation before barging in and gaining no leverage. 

"You should be quieter when attempting to assault one of our own." Hanji had stepped through the door, quietly closing it to keep from waking the four asleep upstairs. Her middle and index finger had pushed her glasses into a correct position on her face, the small light filtering into the dark alleyway glinting off of them, "We are now witnesses to your attempts." She leaned down, hands on her hips as she hovered over his slumped form as his face turned red from the lack of oxygen due to Levi's grip, "Perhaps we should file a formal complaint with the King? While you may have the upper hand, you have also assaulted Fieonexx multiple times while in public. We have dirt on you."

Gale had laughed, albeit barely through his windpipe continuing to be squeezed, "You honestly-" A gasp for breath, "Believe the King would listen to you while you are already being heavily questioned?" He continued to gasp, a shit eating grin never faltering from his face, "She barely escaped the accusations she already faced. This is mere child's play. You've seen nothing yet."

Fieonexx had whispered to Hanji, the brunette nodding for Levi to let him up, the trio watching as he shifted his appearance back into place. A final glare was aimed toward them as he sulked off, evidently pissed off from being caught. Hanji had been told to not worry, and that Gale would make nothing of this interaction as he had been caught, and he wouldn't try to make further allegations with material against him as he had failed his earlier attempt due to this.

The tension in the air cleared, Gale having been gone by now. Hanji had turned to Fieonexx, hands roaming all over her to check for any new marks, "Are you ok? Did he hurt you? What was he trying to do? What does he mean witness? What's going on?" She questioned everything at once, causing Levi to 'tch' and call her shitty glasses while telling her to shut up.

Fieonexx gently pushed Hanji away, slightly annoyed but at the same time happy that she was back with her friends who looked out for her, "I don't really want to talk about it, but the important part is he was using Erwin's possible outcome to manipulate me. He said that he would make allegations and would push them to saying the Survey Corps committed treason, and possibly get Erwin executed."

"Hn, small minded if that shit thinks he can so easily convince them." Levi commented blankly.

"I hope you're right." Fieonexx sighed, stepping into the small house, "Any idea what's going on tomorrow?"

Hanji nodded, taking her seat back on the couch as Levi opted to lean against the wall, "More waiting. I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out alone anymore."

Fieonexx nodded, muttering a small 'yeah', before sitting beside Hanji in silence. She never knew how boring the silence was, as when the Survey Corps had downtime they usually were honing their skills, doing paperwork, cleaning, or running errands. Her eyes glanced around the room, but what could there be to do here? Nothing worked here and even though it was more homey than their headquarters, it still didn't feel like home. Her hands rubbed her legs, shoulders perking up slightly as she remembered the chocolate she had.

The wrapper made a small noise as it fell from the dessert, all of them staring at it in silence and disbelief. Was this really chocolate? Surely that man wouldn't have given something so expensive away for free.

"Here." Fieonexx commented, handing the other two in the room a piece, and setting the rest of it on the table with the other refreshments for the slumbering cadets upstairs. 

"Is this...really chocolate?" Hanji beamed, holding it delicately in her hands, a small nibble on the corner making her lips turn into an even bigger smile. "How did you get this?!"

"Some merchant was kind enough to give it to me. He didn't even make me pay for it, no matter how much I persisted." She took a bite of her own piece, a small sigh of content as the bitter chocolate met her tastebuds. Bitter chocolate she could do with, but the sweet kind wasn't much to her liking.

"Not bad." Levi lowly remarked, taking small bites like the other two had in an attempt to savor as much as they could.

Hanji had glomped the pale blonde, knocking her back onto the couch in excitement. It was moments like these that they fought for. Moments like these they all had hoped to someday get to cherish.

Forever.

 


End file.
